My contribution for what its worth.
Fixed wing (amphibious) – Walrus – War record speaks for its self. Could be included in the CSAR category.
Fixed wing - Nimrod – Comms suite, range and sets of eyes.
Rotary - Sea king 3a – It’s slow, it’s an old design, but the radar puts it above the newer stuff.
CSAR - MH-53 Pave Low – TFR and it looks good.
R1a

Nimrod MR - Best radar, good comms, loadsa lookouts, air dropped dingies,
you can eat while you're doing it!

Great aircraft but the radar, as of course in the Mk3, is massively flawed with a 30 degree blind sector on the nose! God bless blind arc clearances - long live the King.

Small crew but ideal equipment carrier http://www.martinbowersmodelworld.com/tb2photo3.JPG

How about the German Navy Seakings based at Kiel??
Take the venerable old Sea Queen and plug an up to date S-61 radar in it, multi function displays with search pattern track display for the pilots and remarkably steadfast reliability when on task.
Is an excellent beastie, soon to be replaced by the NH-90. Will watch with interest.

http://www.hmfriends.org.uk/images/hd05gerseak65.jpg

Of course the mighty Sea King could also be included in the amphibian category!!
R1a
http://213.photobucket.com/albums/cc...terlanding.jpg

Have crews in the UK ever practiced water operations with the Seaking like they do with the Chinook (now and then)?

"Great aircraft but the radar, as of course in the Mk3, is massively flawed with a 30 degree blind sector on the nose!"


Agreed. But remember, the RAF could have had the RN scanner/radome, with half the blind arc, for much less, but insisted on the expensive option. Same applies to the TxRx.

Selected pilots, and occasionally rearcrew, attend the Waterbird course in Canada (see the photo above), but this is not practiced in the UK.

The 'Waterbird' course is a fantastic course run by the Canadians based out of Halifax (or was?).

Great eye opener as to what the aircraft can do but the Cab is specially sealed and prepared. Must admit I wouldn't like to have done the same thing in either a normal cab or with a swell running!!!

The normal nose bay only has a compression seal which is not man enough for the job of keeping the water out fully in normal circumstances.

It is a truely bizzare feeling to run the aircraft forwards on one donk, pitch to 'surf' the bow wave then 'overpitch' to get airborne. Then fight the NR/height/speed etc....

Great fun

Wobble - yes it's still run at Shearwater - don't know for how much longer though - and yes, outstanding fun.

Wossamatter, can't anyone spell SHACKLETON?:ok:

So why does the Seaking have a boat shaped hull if it isn't up for the job of landing on the water unless specially prepared?
Another helicopter with the same kind of shaped hull comes to mind, the Mi-14... but with floatation gear deployed..... however...it didn't go to plan. What did the pilot do here?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9LFLWcFpw6A

Perhaps in its initial conception the Sea King was designed to allow water operations. However, as the gross weight of the aircraft has steadily climbed to 21,400lbs over the years, the nose bay has been stuffed with electronics and the radar has been added under the rear freight floor in the bathtub below the theoretical water line, the aircraft sits considerably lower in the water allowing significant water ingress.

If you look at the Shearwater picuter above all seals are protected with water proof tape.

Whilst the normal aircraft will not take long time immersion in water, the boat hull and SEWTO (Single Engine Water T/O) capability does allow for engine failures in the hover when heavy to be recovered if dealt with in a reasonable amount of time. The aircraft can also be water taxied over long distances if
required, as happened to a friend of mine in Mounts Bay many years ago.

As to the Mi 14, it looks as if the pilot tries to apply full power with forward cyclic into the swell :sad: The resulting tip strike would be fairly catastrophic in all helos. Water is HARD! The course at Shearwater teaches, wait for the aircraft to stabalise, if possible run with the swell, gently trim the rotor disc forward, always watching the distance of the tips to the water surface. When the bow wave reaches to bottom of the windscreen, blip the collective to break the surface suction of the water, ride the bow wave, over pitch the collective to get airborne, nose down, gain airspeed, reduce collective as you enter the ground cushion. Continue gently trimming forward to increase the airspeed whilst attempting to maintain an NR in excess of 91%. As translation lift comes in to force climb away slowly whilst recovering NR. Brains a bit rusty but thats what I remember. :}

W2P

Best Sar Aircraft Ever?
 

The one above you as you bob around in the oggin next to a sinking wreck?

WM

W2P
Many thanks for that reply, just the sort of answer that was needed.
Thanks