Sikorsky S-56 / HR2S "Deuce" / H-37 Mojave

Well, it took over a year and some difficult struggles with FS9, which does not like multi-engined piston-powered helicopters at all, but David and I have finally finished with our Sikorsky S-56. Here's from the introductory blurb about it:

The S-56 was a revolutionary helicopter. It was the first production twin engined helicopter and one of the first helicopters with retractable landing gear. It established World Speed, Altitude and Lifting records and had some very advanced features. Developed as a heavy assault transport for the Marine Corps as the HR2S, where it acquired the nickname "Deuce" (for the 2 that differentiated its designation from its predecessor, the HRS), the Army took interest and got its simplified H-37, formally named Mojave, into service first. The H-37A entered service in 1956 and the HR2S-1 in 1957. The last CH-37B was retired from the National Guard in 1974. An AEW version was developed for the Navy but it wasn't successful. In the early 1970s, Keystone helicopters modified surplus airframes for civilian use but had little success. Both regular and wide screen panels are included, along with multiple models and skins depicting the XHR2S-1, YHR2S-1, XHR2S-1W, HR2S-1 (CH-37C), H-37A, CH-37B and S-56 in the authentic colors and markings of the U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Federal Aviation Administration and Keystone Helicopters.

Here's a screenie of a YHR2S-1 being tested at the Naval Air Test Center, NAS Patuxent River. They named it Jonah but it looks more like the whale:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71798&stc=1

And here's an Army aircraft, "Tired Dude" of the 90th Transportation Company based in Germany:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71799&stc=1

This HR2S-1 shows HMH-461's ferocious squadron motif:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71800&stc=1

Betcha never knew that the Federal Aviation Administration flew the H-37:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71801&stc=1

Here's a civil S-56 in full Keystone Helicopters livery:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71802&stc=1

"Big Daddy" served with the 611th Transportation Company in Vietnam, where it recovered crashed aircraft. Note the scoreboard under the fuselage window and the artwork on the tail boom:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71803&stc=1

This H-37 wears the Army's high visibility livery:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71804&stc=1

This XHR2S-1W was taken over by the Army after the Navy proved that the radar picket concept wouldn't work, as the vacuum tube radars of the day couldn't function with the vibration from the two big R-2800s:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71805&stc=1

Sorry, but you can't drive the jeep down the ramp.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=71806&stc=1

Wow! Another surprise bird. Looking forward to trying it out. I'm still regularly flying the Temco TT-1 and Cessna Airmaster.

Thank you guys!

Norm

Now your questions make sense.

I guess the 'Jonah' name and rescue arrows above the door/mouth are a reference to the whale, Jonah being needing rescue from the mouth?

Looking real nice, will definitely download for future. Not really simmer for a few years but always plan to return one day. Still visit here almost daily though.

:ernaehrung004:
Jamie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Desert Rat

Now your questions make sense.

I guess the 'Jonah' name and rescue arrows above the door/mouth are a reference to the whale, Jonah being needing rescue from the mouth?

Looking real nice, will definitely download for future. Not really simmer for a few years but always plan to return one day. Still visit here almost daily though.

:ernaehrung004:
Jamie

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It took us a while to learn that we were doing something that FS9 wasn't ever intended to do. Then it took us longer to figure out workarounds. We considered faking it and making it a single engine helo but that wouldn't allow us to have start-up smoke from both engines. The parts we couldn't do anything about are that no matter how the gauges are coded, the engine instruments only read from one engine, and that you can't start or shut down the second engine with panel switches, which are gauges, so they only work with the first engine. Start ups and shut downs have to be done from the keyboard.

I took "Jonah" to be the aircraft's name, but I like your take on it better. :encouragement:

I was in your situation for a few years some time back. I was burnt out from working on models and scenery and never getting to fly, so all I did was keep visiting this forum just to stay in touch. When I replaced my confutor it was a couple years before I even got FS9 and GW3 installed.

OK, it just went up the pipe. It will be available on the download page as soon as Rami gets a chance to do his librarian thing.

Wow! That looks so good! Fantastic job! One of my favorite choppers! Ill have to go to the future and check it out!

Thanks David & Mick :encouragement:

Cheers,
Huub

Well, between here and FlightSim.com there are now some 200 downloads, and so far nobody's come to us complaining that they couldn't get both engines started. Could it be - is it even possible - that over two hundred people actually read the documentation???

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mick

Well, between here and FlightSim.com there are now some 200 downloads, and so far nobody's come to us complaining that they couldn't get both engines started. Could it be - is it even possible - that over two hundred people actually read the documentation???

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Well, some use it as AI …

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=72121&stc=1

Nice!

Thanks for letting us know!

David's models are typically good for AI but he didn't mention it about the S-56. I know that helicopters are usually less likely to work as AI than airplanes, for reasons that I don't understand.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mick

Nice!

Thanks for letting us know!

David's models are typically good for AI but he didn't mention it about the S-56. I know that helicopters are usually less likely to work as AI than airplanes, for reasons that I don't understand.

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One reason is that AI helicopters don't hoover as they should and therefore need some more space to take-off. Furthermore their aircraft.cfg have to be modified. Up to now I could use almost all flyable helicopters as AI, excepted the Bristol Syamcore and Nemeth's models.

Bernard

Interesting!

I always thought of helicopters making hover take-offs as a matter of routine. I suppose that comes from the first time I ever saw a helo up close, when an H-19 from Westover AFB made a forced landing in the park across the street from my childhood home. It was a small field and when it was repaired it departed straight up. More recently, they used to have helicopter rides as a feature of the fall festival in the park across the street from my adult home and again,in a small field, the helo took off straight up. I see lots of helos in the air, since there are Army Reserve and National Guard helicopter units based nearby, but I don't get to see them take off or land.

When I was researching the S-56 I bought the Ginter book on the type and read that HO2S and H-37 pilots preferred to make rolling take-offs and landings, but there was nothing about why that should be, or whether it was typical of other helos. Wen I re-read Bob Mason's "Chickenhawk" (great book, should've been a movie) I was reminded that he said rolling take-offs and landings were preferred because vertical take-offs and landings presented the risk of dropping like a brick in case of engine failure, while rolling until the rotor was in clear air and disk lift was established, or maintaining some forward speed until touchdown, would allow for a gentler landing. He said that vertical take-offs and landings are only for when there's no room for rolling departures or arrivals.

That reminded me of a time I flew down to Provincetown (tip of Cape Cod) and saw a Coast Guard HH-52 leave the ramp and hover taxi along the taxiway to make a rolling take-off on the runway. P-town is an uncontrolled airport, so there was no ground controller telling them to do that. In those days it surprised me and I didn't know why they didn't just lift vertically from the ramp. That was before I read "Chickenhawk."

I don't know how common or not it is for helicopters to make rolling take-offs, but I know it happens at least sometimes.

So it seems that if AI helicopters like rolling take-offs, it's just an example of FS9 being "as real as it gets."

Hi Mick,

Great job you guys did on this bird. I knew an airline guy who flew them in the Guards or Reserves. He said it was a good, reliable helo.

Concerning running takeoffs, they allow the helo to takeoff with a greater load than if they tried to hover and go. I once took delivery of a Hughes 300 and the guy who brought it in from Arizona said he had to do running takeoffs most days coming across the west due to the heat and density altitudes. He was a good sized guy so with he and his baggage plus full fuel he was right at max all the time.

One place I was had Marine CH-46's and they would routinely do running takeoffs and landings. They would sometimes fly down wind in formation and pitch out just like the fixed wing guys did. There were also Marine Bird Dogs there so we used to joke that they drafted the Dog guys to fly the helos and didn't tell them they could go straight up or hover.

NormB

I was stationed at MCAS Yuma, in the Arizona desert. Miserable place. Hotter than heck, even in winter. I've seen 110° F on Christmas Day.

Their claim to fame is 360 flying days per year. Well, sure, if the aircraft can get off the ground. Talk about high density altitude!

They get CH-53E's on det there, especially during WTI, and they always use a rolling take off. They need the Translational Lift. Same for the 46's. Especially loaded full of jarheads. We tend to weigh a bit when fully equipped.

The one exception was a Huey they had as MCAS's SAR bird. Skids only, no wheels, so they must hover taxi and take off. Darn thing almost took my head off one time when I was working on a Kfir at VMFAT-401. They got a call about a down Hornet at a range, and they left with great alactrity.
401's flightline was right at the main taxiway to the runway, and the SAR bird got pulled out, started up, and took off as soon as the rotors were spun up. That quick. They had to hover taxi to the taxiway right beside us, and they did it and the fastest speed I ever saw on the airport. Swung onto the main taxiway, still going like a bat-outta-Yuma, and flew away. But they were MOVING. Nose low, main rotor LOOKED about 3 feet off the ground. I was on top of a plane, and I was looking down at the upper surface of the rotor as they approached fast. Scared me no end, and I jumped off the plane and rolled under it. They would have missed me, but it didn't look like it'd be by much!

So yeah, generally, in the desert, the rotor-heads used a rolling take-off, if they could. They pretty much had to to get the lift they needed. I did see a lot of 53E's doing hover-checks after maintennance on a pad right near the flightline, but they were empty of cargo (the Marines :D ) and didn't have much fuel aboard...

Have fun all!
Pat☺

"Translational Lift!" That's the term I couldn't think of when I wrote my previous post! Translational lift. I should've been able to remember that. Another sign of age and mental decline, I guess.

Thanks Norm & PT for your very interesting comments!