Sikorsky
CH-124
Sea King
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Sikorsky
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Purchased in May of 1964 by the Royal Canadian Navy to replace the
Sikorsky H04S-3s, this twin-engine, 5-bladed single rotor airframe
has undertaken the role of Anti-Surface and Anti-Submarine warfare.
It is one of a very small group of aircraft that carries armament -
in fact, the only other aircraft in the Canadian Forces that do carry
weapons are the CF-18 Fighter and the CP-140 Polaris/Aurora Maritime
Patrol Aircraft. The Sea King was assigned to the air force during
the 1968 unification. The Sea King is assigned to destroyers, patrol frigates, and replenishment ships as a means of extending the surveillance capabilities of a ship beyond the horizon. Both the tail and rotor blades can be folded to facilitate the Sea King being carried onboard ships for extended deployments. A unique Canadian invention called the 'Beartrap' allows the Sea King to land on ships that are rolling in high seas - up to 30 degrees of roll, and 15 degrees of pitch. The Sea King can also float for a period of time in case it cannot hover over water or land on a ship. When deployed, the Sea King is accompanied by a number of crews - each with 2 pilots, a Tactical Coordinator (TACCO), and an Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator (AESOp). In order to find submarines, the Sea King's sonar uses a transducer ball at the end of a 450 foot cable. It can also be fitted with FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) to find surface vessels in the dark of night. The Sea King has undergone numerous refits and upgrades, especially with regard to the electronics and engines - including an engine intake shield, surface-search radar, and a winch for SAR duties. Length:22.12 m (spread) Span:4.98 m Height:5.13 m Weight:8,680 kg Power:Two 1350 shaft horsepower General Electric T-58-GE-8F turboshaft engines Speed:151 knots (280 km/h) Ceiling:3,000 m Range:350 NM (648 km) Payload:2,250 kg Detection equipment:Subsurface acoustic detection equipment and self-contained navigation equipment Armament:Mk 46 Mod V homing torpedoes Crew:2 pilots, 1 navigator, and 1 airborne electronic sensor operator Year(s) procured:1963-69 Quantity in CF:30 Location(s):Shearwater, Nova Scotia; Victoria International Airport, British Columbia |
| Location | Number of Airframes |
| 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron, Shearwater, Nova Scotia | 30 total |
| 423 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron, Shearwater, Nova Scotia | |
| 443 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron, Pat Bay, British Columbia |
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© 2001 The RotorHead |
at 800 x 600 resolution http://www.rotorhead.org File: /military/seaking.asp |
Last change: 4/9/2007 |