Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard

National Air and Space Museum

Object Details

Summary
Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard
The HH-52 was the U.S. Coast Guard’s first turbine-powered helicopter and the first that could land in the water next to vessels or personnel in distress without using awkward floats, making it the most effective air-sea rescue helicopter of its time. The Coast Guard operated ninety-nine HH-52s between 1962 and 1989, saving 15,000 lives.
The Coast Guard acquired this HH-52 (#1426) in 1967 and operated it until 1989, accumulating 12,618 hours. Its notable missions included a January 27, 1967 nighttime sailboat rescue that resulted in a Distinguished Flying Cross for the pilot and a mention in LIFE magazine. 1426’s most dramatic rescue occurred on November 1, 1979, when it rescued twenty-two survivors from a fiery collision of an oil tanker and freighter off Galveston, Texas. During the mission, it lifted twelve crewmen at one time from the inferno – a record for the aircraft, designed only to carry a maximum of ten, including crew, in the cabin.
Transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard
Rotor Diameter: 16.16 m (53 ft 0 in)
Length: 13.58 m (44 ft 7 in)
Height:4.33 m (14 ft 3 in)
Weight:Empty, 2,306kg (5,083 lb)
Gross, 3,674 kg (8,100 lb)
Engine:General Electric T58-GE-8, de-rated to 1,250 shp
Top Speed:175 km/h (109 mph)
Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, 1966
Credit Line
Transferred from the United States Coast Guard
Inventory Number
A20160034000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
CRAFT-Rotary Wing
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
Exhibit Station
Modern Military Aviation
National Air and Space Museum
Record ID
nasm_A20160034000
Metadata Usage (text)
Not determined
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9a41ade50-3270-4d82-955c-f7e2fcae010f
Side view of an orange and white helicopter. The number 1426, Coast Guard Houston, and a red white and blue star logo are all on the side of the helicopter.
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Side view of an orange and white helicopter. The number 1426, Coast Guard Houston, and a red white and blue star logo are all on the side of the helicopter.
Front view of an orange and white helicopter. Two black and white tear-shaped structures sit above the wheels, and USCG is written on the bottom of the helicopter in black.
Close up view of a helicopter cockpit. Two orange seats with brown seat belts sit behind the black dashboard, and a joystick is in front of each seat.