USMC rescues Merlin

[hulahoop7]

RAF Merlin damaged in Afghanistan | Shephard Group (http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/rotorhub/raf-merlin-damaged-in-afghanistan/6626/)?

The US Marine Corps has salvaged an RAF Merlin after the aircraft made a heavy landing in Afghanistan.
Rotorhub.com has been told the incident occured on June 23 after the Merlin assigned to 1419 Flight made a heavy landing at an assault base in the Lashkar Gar area of Helmand province.
No-one was seriously injured and the incident is now being investigated and the aircraft being assessed to see if it can be returned to service.
Pictures released by the Marine Corps reveal the aircraft has been heavily stripped down for the airlift to Camp Bastion by CH-53 helicopter which took place three days later on June 26.

[Madbob]

Thanks for the gen. I hadn't see this previously reported. Good job that the ground situation didn't dictate "destroy in situ!" otherwise it would be a Cat. 5 ......:eek:.

With luck it looks repairable, but I doubt it will be either quick or cheap. At least the crew/pax got out alive which (for the second time) proves the crash-worthiness of the design.:ok:

MB

[SammySu]

Some better pics on the USMC site, looks like quite alot of damage particularly to the belly and one of the stubwings?, whilst the other gear leg looks collapsed/up. Good news that everyone is ok and understandably its not an easy environment to operate in, opsec permitting anyone know anymore? Please don't tell me it's number 4 in a recent trend of RAF accident causes...

[Linedog]

Can't you resize that image? :eek:

[VinRouge]

Sure it will just blend out!:eek:

Good to hear the lads are OK.

Is that a certain former LYE sqn exec in the background of picture 2?

[OFBSLF]

Yikes. What happened to the tail? Impact from the main rotors?

[Ivan Rogov]

Here is a pic of it's recovery flight

Marine CH-53Es Recover Wrecked Merlin, CH-47 (http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.57159805.1277847737.TCpouX8AAAEAAGmj@v MAAAAK&prod=116005&nommod=produit_zoom)

[StopStart]

Is that a certain former LYE sqn exec in the background of picture 2?

Nope. Does look a bit like him tho I s'pose...

[Older and Wider]

From Sheppard again
Heavy-lift helos haul big missions in Afghanistan | Shephard Group (http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/rotorhub/heavy-lift-helos-haul-big-missions-in-afghanistan/6625/)

An entire maintenance department jumped into action pulling off 2,000 pounds worth of gear, including the auxiliary fuel tanks, fuel probe, troop seats, ramp, cargo wench and utility hoist.

Big Girls in the Marines:E:E

[NutLoose]

Handy they built a base near it :p

http://www.marines.mil/unit/3rdmaw/PublishingImages/2010/100626-M-0472W-108.jpg

more here

Marine Corps Photos (http://www.marines.mil/news/Pages/photos.aspx?sortExpr=PhotoDateTaken&sortDir=DESC&pageIndex=0&FirstRow=0)

[TBM-Legend]

looks like a nice chicken coop now...:ooh:

[GreenKnight121]

Actually, Nutloose, those are the "after" shots, after said Merlin was brought to the base... as shown by this caption & accompanying image:
The 'lifeless' body of an Mk3 Merlin with Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) here sits just off the air field where a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 put it down moments earlier.
Date Photo Taken: 6/26/2010 5:21:00 AM
Unit: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD)
Photo ByLine: Gunnery Sgt. Steven Williams
Photo VRIN: 100626-M-0472W-091.jpg
http://www.marines.mil/_layouts/GetThumbnail2.aspx?ImageUrl=%2funit%2f3rdmaw%2fPublishingIma ges%2f2010%2f100626-M-0472W-091.jpg&Width=150&Height=150

Marine Corps Photos (http://www.marines.mil/news/Pages/photos.aspx?sortExpr=PhotoDateTaken&sortDir=DESC&pageIndex=0&FirstRow=0&totalRows=0&SearchTextbox=Merlin)

[fallmonk]

Does anyone know if it will be fixed in the field or re pattriated to the UK for full asessment and repair's ?

[gigolojoe]

She is on her way home soon

[Unchecked]

Maybe we can polish her up, stick her in the Tate Modern. :ok:

[NutLoose]

Actually, Nutloose, those are the "after" shots, after said Merlin was brought to the base... as shown by this caption & accompanying image:


It was erm, an attempt at dry humour LOL ;)

Still nothing like putting it down anywhere close or handy for stripping it and prepping it for loading, looks almost like they were embarrased to have it back... :p


I suppose if they can't rebuild her, a couple of skis and a coat of red, she can be used by the Squadron Santa at Christmas..

[jayteeto]

With the crush damage to the engine area, has it rolled over on landing?

[vecvechookattack]

I hope that no one is going to be in any bother after the SI reports.

[sirsaltyhelmet]

Obviously you are the President of the board, judge, jury and executioner.

Give the guys a break before launching in fella

[stinkydocker]

I believe it did role, or at least thats the buzz, nothing official yet...

[TheWizard]

It was in a trooping role....that is official.:}

[minigundiplomat]

And if they had packed lunches from BSN, they will no doubt have been tuna rolls.

[Whaaa newark]

Heavy-lift Helos Haul Big Missions in Afghanistan (http://www.marines.mil/unit/3rdmaw/Pages/Heavy-liftHelosHaulBigMissionsinAfghanistan.aspx)

Non-Whaa

[Tempest06]

As I recall, X-Ray seemed to have a heck of a time in Kuwait/Iraq as well - poor aircraft...

[RetiredSHRigger]

Thats why we are donating them to the Navy

[RileyDove]

I think the Marines need to Google 'CH-54 Tarhe' and see what capability the U.S had in Vietnam with 380 aircraft and helicopter recoveries to their credit .

[GreenKnight121]

I think the Marines need to Google 'CH-54 Tarhe' and see what capability the U.S had in Vietnam with 380 aircraft and helicopter recoveries to their credit .


Oh, the USMC were an integral part of all that... starting with their use of the HR2S-1 (also used by the US Army as the CH-37). In case you didn't know, the US Army's CH-54 and the USMC's CH-53 both derived their transmission & rotor system from the HR2S-1/CH-37.

The USMC gained experience by recovering NASA's Mercury capsules during the early part of testing (HMR(M)-462, starting in 1958).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/HR2S-1_with_Mercury_capsule_NAN6-60.jpg


While this photo is of a US Army CH-37, this shows that the USMC was learning about aircraft recovery via helicopter at the same time the Army was!
http://www.aviastar.org/foto/sik_s-56_3.jpg

And the USMC never let those skills slide, recovering large helicopters with the same model:
In December of 1972, HMH-363 rewrote the book on Tactical Aircraft Recovery when they lifted HMH-361’s CH-53A that had crashed in a mountainous area near Saddleback Mountain. In September of 1973, HMH-363 performed the same mission again when a crashed CH-53A was externally extracted from a 4,000-foot mountain-landing zone.


So don't try to belittle the USMC's expertise in this field... they know every bit as much (likely more, recently) as the US Army does about the subject!

[RileyDove]

GreenKnight - what I said was that the U.S i.e U.S forces as a whole had the use of the CH-54 in Vietnam which as a type can out lift a CH-47 (and in many ways would be a useful type now). Nothing to do with belittling anyone!