H-19 / S-55 Data Plate Location

Cherrybomber13 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:44 am

You are correct that is the mod plate from the tail, Chris found that 2nd plate near it, not sure if fore or aft of the tail boom, ill ask him exactly where next time we talk.
The 3rd ID plate (silver background) is off the engine shroud.

Zorro,
You need to climb up into the tail section, see the photo of Warbird Kid above and look on the starboard side.

Craig59 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:05 am

zorro7 wrote:

Andrew;

Good day!!

Nice subject and pics of your H-19!

I have the same questions. Plz let me know where are those mod plates specifically located. We have an H-19 poss FAH 820/821 S. of the border at Toncontin, upside down that may have one of these id plates stll in place. Buno 13XXXX for now!

I'm sure we'll be able to find at least the mod plates. The main Sikorsky id plate is gone. In the background is our H-19 center fuselage & in the foreground the remains of F4U-4 FAH 617 c. 2005. Photo via Ennio Devoto

Thank you for your help.

I agree that this could be HRS BuNo129043 or 130228, the only two HRS's known to have been supplied to Honduras via the Military Assistance Program (MAP). Sadly, as you'll see below in another of Devoto's photographs (flipped upside down), the section of fuselage where the modification plate would have been located is missing.

Craig59 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:14 am

Cherrybomber13 wrote:

You are correct that is the mod plate from the tail, Chris found that 2nd plate near it, not sure if fore or aft of the tail boom, ill ask him exactly where next time we talk.
The 3rd ID plate (silver background) is off the engine shroud.

Huh, third one on the engine shroud and screwed in, not riveted. I'll be interested to see what Sid says when he chimes in. Sid, any history for 51-3902, especially SOC date? Come on, it's Sunday. Put down the Guiness and solve this mystery!

zorro7 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:07 pm **Posts:** 483

Craig59:

Good day!

Good pics and info tks!!

Is this pic a poss ID plate location also?? The 13XXXX Buno has been id already. I may be able to find who may have this ID plate in the area. Now that we know the exact location, we may be able also to compare notes with the FAG 110 on display at La Aurora, Guatemala.!

Tks for the help!!

Cherrybomber13 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 12:19 pm

Craig59 wrote:

Drew,

What are the locations of the three plates? I'm assuming the first is the mod plate, right aft fuselage just ahead of the tail-boom attach point. Sid's database shows 52-7578 (cn 55-715) with a delivery date of May 1954 which agrees with the data plates accepted date of April 1954.

The second plate is a mystery. Is the date October 1954?

The third plate contains the serial number 51-3902 (cn 55-330) which was a H-19B delivered to the USAF on 3/16/1953 which agrees with the acceptance date of 2/3/1953. Where is this plate attached?

I'm not sure I get whats going on with the serials, neither ones match up to our bird as they as being shown in Venezuela and Casa Grande. Ours has been at the museum since 2001 and was at Ellis HH Technical School in Danielson Ct for many years before that.

Craig59 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:38 pm

Cherrybomber13 wrote:

I'm not sure I get whats going on with the serials, neither ones match up to our bird as they as being shown in Venezuela and Casa Grande. Ours has been at the museum since 2001 and was at Ellis HH Technical School in Danielson Ct for many years before that.

Drew,

Sorry, hope I didn't cause the confusion by earlier seeing the ID plate as 52-7578 when it is in fact 52-7573. The grunge on the plate made that 3 look like an 8 to me. So, is that the SN you guys thought you had or something else? The nose had the last 3 digits painted on it, the boom is marked as SN 027573 which is correct for an aircraft in service which was more than 10 years old, and the mod plate ID's it as 52-7573. In my book that's pretty definative proof it is in fact 52-7573. Or, am I missing something?

Craig59 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:08 pm

zorro7 wrote:

Craig59:

Good day!

Good pics and info tks!!

Is this pic a poss ID plate location also?? The 13XXXX Buno has been id already. I may be able to find who may have this ID plate in the area. Now that we know the exact location, we may be able also to compare notes with the FAG 110 on display at La Aurora, Guatemala.!

Tks for the help!!

Not sure where on the airframe that photo is taken but, no, that appears to be something which was attached on the external skin. The data plates were attached internally.

SIDSIKO · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 4:10 pm

Hello All,

Plates on tails and clam shell doors can be very unreliable, as they were often swapped around, the only two plates we can rely on for identification are the main data plate on the drive shaft housing and the smaller Mod plate, in the rear of the fuselage, just before where the tail boom is mated.

Drew, the example you have is H-19B 52-7573, which left the factory on delivery to the USAF on the 6th of May 1954.
The early part of its history is unknown to me at present, but it moved from 3636 MSU Group at Stead to the 3750 MSU Group at Sheppard on the 21st of January 1966. It then went to 3630 FTA Wing at Sheppard on the 31st March 1966 before being retired into Davis Monthan AFB on the 18th of June 1967. It was struck off charge there on the 23rd of September 1969.

It was probably donated to the State of Connecticut and given the registration N12SC circa 1971. It went to Killingly Tech School as a ground instructional aid and then to the Connecticut Aerospace Hall of Fame in January 1999.

I can do a better history on your H-34 if required

Regards

Sid

Cherrybomber13 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:01 pm

Sid,
Thank You! I appreciate the information. This is the best that I have been able to find.
Now onto paint schemes!

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:53 pm

Craig59 wrote:

Cherrybomber13 wrote:

You are correct that is the mod plate from the tail, Chris found that 2nd plate near it, not sure if fore or aft of the tail boom, ill ask him exactly where next time we talk.
The 3rd ID plate (silver background) is off the engine shroud.

Huh, third one on the engine shroud and screwed in, not riveted. I'll be interested to see what Sid says when he chimes in. Sid, any history for 51-3902, especially SOC date? Come on, it's Sunday. Put down the Guiness and solve this mystery!

The 2nd plate is located just aft of the connection point of the tail boom to the main fuselage section. So its installed on the tail boom being the most aft mod plate I found. Great work with the locations and thank you to all who've helped thus far!

zorro7 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:07 pm **Posts:** 483

Warbid Kid/H-19 Folks:

Does anyone know if there are any attch id mod plates of the left side of the boom?? Are the mod plates located inside the frame or outside the frame??

SIDSIKO · **Posted:** Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:02 am

Mod plates were always attached inside the airframe on the starboard (right) side. I have seen plates on the tail boom itself and the tail pylon that are on the outside, but these will not give the required serial number for identification.

Sid

zorro7 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:07 pm **Posts:** 483

Sidsiko:

Good Day!

We have id the following H-19s as poss Honduras bound c. 1965-1966.

Bunos 129043, Buno 130228 and USAF 51-3927? as poss FAH 820, also as poss FAG 820 sample c. 1966-1977. Now on display at La Aurora with the Reg FAG 110 (fake).

We are still looking for the Id plates on FAG 110 and the Honduran sample mentioned before.

Tks fpr all the data & info.

We'll keep you posted for any findings!!

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H-19 / S-55 Data Plate Location

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