Sikorsky S-55.mov

A few days ago I was given the privilege of flying this big, barking "old school" piece of American aviation technology after not having flown one in 36 years, not since my Bristow Helicopter days in the Persian Gulf in 1974. Even then, the aircraft we were flying were more than 20 years old. This is the first run-up and trip around the patch after the current owner, Hale Gurland, completed the big Sikorsky's 2010 annual inspection.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Sikorsky
• Sikorsky S-55
• Sikorsky Helicopters
• S-55
• H-19
• Chickasaw
• Korean War
• Korean War Helicopters
• 1950's
• 1950
• 1951
• 1952
• 1953
• 1950's helicopters
• round engine helicopters
• vintage helicopters
• early helicopters warfare

[hillberg100]

Do you remember LAA ? Los Angeles Airways, They delivered mail & people all over Southern Calicornia-Most my family worked at LAA, Ken,Mary,Bob,Margret, Cream & Green ,later LAA went to the S-61s-Thanks for the S-55

[atphelo20]

@hillberg100 Sure, I remember LAA. We're talking in the 50's and 60's. I hope you didn't lose anyone in the S-61 crashes. I absolutely love this old, reliable S-55 and I'd love to put it work. Do you remember the Heli-camper conversion from Orlando Helicopters? I saw it at the Reading Air Show in 1972, but the world has changed drastically and there isn't a campground in the country today that would let something like that land and plug-in. Ha... Thanks for the post.

[UTubeGlennAR]

Great Helicopter n nice video, thanks for sharing and thank you Hale Gurland for keeping her airworthy.

However

Since an lovely old gal like the S55 makes her own music, just too bad the human music was all over the S55's operational music.

The oldies just in the introduction would have set the mood and the S55's music there after would have clinched it and made this video spectacular......

[CIWS1]

I was working on one of these is some guys back yard in upstate NY. He has two of them. has 2 tractor trailer's worth of parts and engines/ and manuals. Not responsible enough to get them repaired for flight safely though. I was gonna try to help restore them but had to leave. Would have love to see them restored. Only got to start it up once and the fool nearly burned it when the throttle body leaked on the starter cables. :( Awesome vid, Awesome Helicopter.

[canalmprodutora]

Great video, but forget the music, let the engine sound.

[scifyjunkie]

that sure is one beauty of a classic bird, my Dad was a crew chief on Army H-21's during the advisory days in vietnam,he went back to nam the year i was born 1968, his unit had UH-1's , during that tour. thank you for posting this great video, i also subscribed to you. Have a great week....Tim

[JasonJason210]

Awesome. Was the radial in the nose prone to overheating at all?

[atphelo20]

@atphelo20 I never flew the military H-19, but there were times in the S-55 that the only way you got off the ground was with a running takeoff. Get it moving on the wheels, reach translational lift and coax the wheels off the ground. The Wright 1300 was the better engine at 800 HP and our Whirlwinds in Abu Dhabi had the Rolls Royce Gnome turbine with that God-awful computerized fuel control. It wasn't grounded to have it fail and you had to fly a manual throttle all day. That was work.

[3333willie]

I liked the music! In the 50's my parents being frugal found the cheapest motel in the south called the "Mockingbird Hill Motel" it was a real dump and also was a motel that we found out the next morning catered to black folks. My first helicopter flight was in a H-19 at Ft Rucker in October of 1963. It was a real disappointment to this fixed wing pilot. We taxied out to the runway and made a takeoff much like the airplanes that I had previously flown. Later I got to hover a helicopter, FUN!

[Pwaak]

Fantastic! You're Heli is awesome and the entire video is is really done well! Although I was born in 52, My favorite heli's are The S-55, Bell 47, Hughes 300, Hiller UH 12, you know...the one's with pistons and make noise! Best Wishes, Good Luck with your Heli and Thanks for posting this video!

[SgtGrant23]

its really a R-1340 engine

[ignaciojork]

I loved that video on various aspects. from the simple format, introduction of what it is to the casual way the property owner that demonstrates how a complex machine can be managed as naturally and without the delay of the procedures of everyday life of modern aviation ... takes a lot of nostalgia for me and made me miss those times where people acted much more naturally than the current generation.