1950's Army Helos

retroaviation · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:31 am

airnutz wrote:

N3Njeff wrote:

Gary, thats a CH-37...............Hard to believe she is powered by a pair of 2800's.

I dont believe any fly.

Yep, none are presently flying, tho I think there are several airframes stockpiled in Pennsylvania. I think
another airframe or 2 in Arizona, tho the engine pods were cut off in order to move one...not good. :cry:

The last one to fly was assembled by a company that used them at one time and flown to Pensacola. She resides
outside on display there... :cry:

There are some photos and film(no sound) of 15 of them in formation when they were flown in for their
retirement by the Army. Can you imagine THAT sound!!!

CH-37 was the heavy-lifter before Chinook came along serving in the Army and USMC...too bad none are flying today!

28,000 pounds of Motherly Love! RIP Deuce!

Does anyone have contact info for the ones up in PA? I wouldn't mind at least looking into the idea of having one as a static display here at CAF HQ.

Gary

gary1954 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:47 am

There is a CH-37 on display at the US Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker (MutherRucker for former military). I was told by someone at Rucker, that the original engines on the 37 were to be diesel but they couldn't get enough power to do the lifting they wanted it to do.

Forgotten Field · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:56 am

Gary,
I believe the CH-37 chunks belong to the American Helicopter Museum http://www.helicoptermuseum.org. The CH-37 used to sit alongside Route 202 north, and I always liked seeing it. It has since moved, and I don't know where it is. When I had occasion to deal with them a few years ago, they were very accomodating and helpful. FYI, this museum was started by a group of people which included Peter Wright of the AVG and 14th Air Force. The museum is worth a trip if you are in the area.

retroaviation · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:32 am

Roger that. Thanks!!!

Gary

jmkendall · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:00 pm

You know......I think I might have worked on that Huey. I remember that when I went through the Crew Chief School at Rucker in '80 they had some of the Original HU-1A's on the line for us Students to play with. All the airframes at Rucker, with one exception, were early A's and B's. We had one, beat to heck, Delta model that we did our "Final" on.

And; for anyone that was there then, come on confess, did you miss the broken green house on that bird, or the disconnected push-pull tube in the "he11 hole"? You know who you are........

Joe

gary1954 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:15 pm

Joe, then you know that there is an H-37 at the Museum. It was there when I was there, from July - Dec 77 going through ATC School at MutherRucker. Ah...the WAC Barracks

located across the street from Guthrie Field..... .

..... the "Peacefilled" er uh "Peaceful nights" in the back of a UH1....Ahhhhhhh

airnutz · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:33 pm

retroaviation wrote:

airnutz wrote:

N3Njeff wrote:

Gary, thats a CH-37...............Hard to believe she is powered by a pair of 2800's.

I dont believe any fly.

Yep, none are presently flying, tho I think there are several airframes stockpiled in Pennsylvania. I think
another airframe or 2 in Arizona, tho the engine pods were cut off in order to move one...not good. :cry:

The last one to fly was assembled by a company that used them at one time and flown to Pensacola. She resides
outside on display there... :cry:

There are some photos and film(no sound) of 15 of them in formation when they were flown in for their
retirement by the Army. Can you imagine THAT sound!!!

CH-37 was the heavy-lifter before Chinook came along serving in the Army and USMC...too bad none are flying today!

28,000 pounds of Motherly Love! RIP Deuce!

Does anyone have contact info for the ones up in PA? I wouldn't mind at least looking into the idea of having one as a static display here at CAF HQ.

Gary

And I thought I was nutz! Considering what you have on your plate, that you would even entertain such
a thought... :roll:

You da man! Thanks for even wanting a Deuce!

I know FAA registration records don't mean much, but 43 H-37's are still carried on the books
being owned by Aircrane Inc. contact info, www.aircrane.com/contact.php
Maybe they still have something laying around? Please let us know how it goes?
It'd be interesting to lay rumour to rest.

PS
Thanks for using the 'quote' button...now I know my sentences are coming out goofy.
I'll take steps to sort it out. (They look 'normal on my computer.)

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:44 pm

Quote:

Initial service delivery to the Army of the first of nine pre-production "HU-1 Iroquois" helicopters was on 30 June 1959.

Interesting - My 8mm film footage from the April, 1959 World Congress of Flight show in Las Vegas has a brief shot of one of those first Hueys in flight at Nellis AFB. I'll see if I can pull a decent still from it.

Thomas · **Joined:** Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:14 pm **Posts:** 92

Here is one standing guard somewhere, Ft Rucker maybe?

airnutz · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:31 pm

Ummm...hold the bus. These ARE the birds FAA registered to Aircrane..at least, most of them...
www.amarcexperience.com/ScrapyardsAlliedH37.asp

The number of airframes at Allied and the numbers on the FAA reg. were too similar to be
a coincidence. They are registered to Aircrane in W. Chester, Penn. Aircrane at the
E-address I gave Gary, is now based out of Georgia. Still worth an e-mail to see what shakes out. :roll:

retroaviation · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:36 pm

Man, I've just GOT to get one of those!!! If you gotta have a clunky ol' helicopter, it might as well have two 2800's on it! That thing is cool.....of course, that is coming from the guy who desperatly wants an AirTruk. :shock:

Gary

gary1954 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:07 pm

Thomas wrote:

Here is one standing guard somewhere, Ft Rucker maybe?

Definitely Fort Rucker Aviation Museum

Thomas · **Joined:** Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:14 pm **Posts:** 92

retroaviation wrote:

Man, I've just GOT to get one of those!!! If you gotta have a clunky ol' helicopter, it might as well have two 2800's on it! That thing is cool.....of course, that is coming from the guy who desperatly wants an AirTruk. :shock:

Gary

Gary take a look at these links...

http://www.amarcexperience.com/ScrapyardsAlliedH37.asp

and

http://www.popasmoke.com/notam2/showthread.php?t=3594

Some leading info for ya.

Thomas · **Joined:** Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:14 pm **Posts:** 92

Take Your Pick.....

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:19 am

Forgotten Field wrote:

Gary,
I believe the CH-37 chunks belong to the American Helicopter Museum http://www.helicoptermuseum.org. The CH-37 used to sit alongside Route 202 north, and I always liked seeing it. It has since moved, and I don't know where it is. When I had occasion to deal with them a few years ago, they were very accomodating and helpful. FYI, this museum was started by a group of people which included Peter Wright of the AVG and 14th Air Force. The museum is worth a trip if you are in the area.

FF, if the one that has since moved is this one, www.big-deuce.de/d_pic13.htm
This is N14463, it may have Keystone painted on the side, but it is reg. to Aircrane as well.
It is now a Scuba diving attraction. :cry:

As for whereabouts of any other bits, the museum
may be helpful for info, as you noted...

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1950's Army Helos

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