The Sikorsky H-34 (company designation S-58) is an American piston-engined military

utility helicopter A utility helicopter is a multi-purpose helicopter capable of pursuing a wide array of tasks. They have proven useful in both civilian and military operations, with versatility being their defining trait. Civilian Helicopters play a crucial ...

originally designed by

Sikorsky Sikorsky or Sikorski may refer to: * Sikorsky (comics), a Marvel Comics character * Sikorsky (crater), a lunar crater * Sikorsky Aircraft, an American aircraft manufacturer People with the surname * Brian Sikorski (born 1974), Major League Basebal ...

as an

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...

(ASW) aircraft for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. A development of the smaller

Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) is a multi-purpose piston-engined helicopter that was used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwin ...

(S-55), the H-34 was originally powered by a

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...

, but was later adapted to turbine power by the British licensee as the

Westland Wessex The Westland Wessex is a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34. It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Aircraft (later Westland Helicopters). One of the main changes from Sikorsky's H-34 was the rep ...

and by Sikorsky as the S-58T. The H-34 was also produced under license in France by

Sud Aviation Sud Aviation (, 'Southern Aviation') was a French state-owned aircraft manufacturer, originating in the merger of Sud-Est ( SNCASE, or ''Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-est'') and Sud-Ouest ( SNCASO or ''Société nat ...

. The H-34 was one of the first successful military utility helicopters, serving on every continent with the armed forces of 25 countries. It saw combat in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

, the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, and the

Algerian War The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...

, where the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

used it to pioneer modern

air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy l ...

tactics. It was the last piston-engined helicopter to be operated by the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

(USMC), having been replaced by turbine-powered types such as the

UH-1 Huey The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...

and

CH-46 Sea Knight The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is an American medium-lift tandem-rotor transport helicopter powered by twin turboshaft engines. It was designed by Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol following Vertol's acquisition by Boeing. Develo ...

; in the USMC, the H-34 was often called the "HUS" after its original designation in that service. A total of 2,340 H-34s were manufactured between 1953 and 1970, including the license productions in the UK and France."H-34."
''Warplanes.net.'' Retrieved: 19 May 2024. Although most military forces retired the H-34 by the late 20th century, the type remains in limited civil use in transport and external cargo lift roles, and some have been restored and flown as

warbird A warbird is any vintage military aircraft now operated by civilian organizations and individuals, or in some instances, by historic arms of military forces, such as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the Royal Australian Air Force's No. 100 ...

Development

In the early 1950s Sikorsky developed the S-58, an improved version of the S-55, which had enter service as the H-19 with the United States. The United States Navy issued a contract in 1952 for the S-58, entering service as the HUS-1, the Army placing a contract in 1955 as the H-34, and the Marine Corp in 1957 (as the HUS-1). In 1962 these names were standardized to H-34, with additional prefixes and letters according to that U.S. designation system. Westland had already made a version of the predecessor of the S-58, the S-55 as the

Westland Whirlwind Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, Nairobi, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland ne ...

, and they would go on to make a turbine powered version of the S-56 as the

. The Sikorsky S-58 was developed as a lengthened and more powerful version of the Sikorsky Model S-55, or UH-19 Chickasaw, with a similar nose, but with a tail-dragger rear fuselage and landing gear, rather than the high-tail, 4-post pattern. It retained the nose-mounted radial reciprocating engine with the drive shaft passing through the

cockpit A cockpit or flight deck is the area, on the front part of an aircraft, spacecraft, or submersible, from which a pilot controls the vehicle. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the controls th ...

placed high above the cargo compartment. The aircraft first flew on 8 March 1954. The first production aircraft was ready in September and entered in service for the

initially designated HSS-1 Seabat (in its anti-submarine configuration) and HUS-1 Seahorse (in its utility transport configuration) under the U.S. Navy designation system for U.S. Navy,

(USMC) and

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

(USCG) aircraft. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps, respectively, ordered it in 1955 and 1957. Under the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

's aircraft designation system, also used by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, the helicopter was designated H-34. The U.S. Army also applied the name Choctaw to the helicopter. In 1962, under the new unified DoD aircraft designation system, the Seabat was redesignated SH-34, the Seahorse as the UH-34, and the Choctaw as the CH-34. Roles included utility transport, anti-submarine warfare,

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

, and VIP transport. In its standard configuration, transport versions could carry 12 to 16 troops, or eight

stretcher A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an medical device, apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or ...

cases if utilized in the

MedEvac Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters an ...

role, while VIP transports carried significantly fewer people in much greater comfort. A total of 135 H-34s were built in the US and assembled by

Sud-Aviation Sud Aviation (, 'Southern Aviation') was a French state-owned aircraft manufacturer, originating in the merger of Sud-Est (SNCASE, or ''Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-est'') and Sud-Ouest (SNCASO or ''Société natio ...

in France, 166 were produced under licence in France by Sud-Aviation for the French Air Force, Navy and Army Aviation (ALAT). The CH-34 was also built and developed under license from 1958 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Westland Aircraft Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil, Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Limited just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915. Du ...

as the

turboshaft A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaft horsepower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the ex ...

engined

Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...

which was used by the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

and

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

. The RN Wessex was fitted out with weapons and ASW equipment for use in an antisubmarine role. The RAF used the Wessex, with turboshaft engines, as an air/sea rescue helicopter and as troop transporter. Wessexes were also exported to other countries and produced for civilian use.

Operational history

Entering service in the 1950s, the type served numerous roles in the late 20th century. The type was internationally and commercially.

Algerian War

The helicopters used by the

French Army Light Aviation The French Army Light Aviation ( (the army is officially called the 'Land Army' because the air force is officially called the 'Air Army')) is the Army aviation service of the French Army. ALAT was established on 22 November 1954 for observation ...

(ALAT), including the Sikorsky H-34, aggregated over 190,000 flying hours in Algeria (over 87,000 for the H-21 alone) and helped to evacuate over 20,000 French combatants from the combat area, including nearly 2,200 at night. By the time the war in Algeria had ended, eight officers and 23 non-commissioned officers from ALAT had been killed. The use of armed helicopters during the Algerian War, coupled with helicopter transports which can insert troops into enemy territory, gave birth to some of the modern tactics of airmobile warfare.

Vietnam War

French evaluations on the reported ground fire vulnerabilities of the CH-34 may have influenced the U.S. Army's decision to deploy the CH-21 Shawnee to Vietnam instead of the CH-34, pending the introduction into widespread service of the

Bell UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered hel ...

. U.S. Army H-34s did not participate in Vietnam, and did not fly in the assault helicopter role, but a quantity were supplied to the

Republic of Vietnam Air Force The South Vietnam Air Force, officially the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF; ; ) (sometimes referred to as the Vietnam Air Force or VNAF), was the aerial branch of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, the official military of the Repub ...

(RVNAF). These saw little use due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance.Mesko 1984, pp. 4–6. HUS-1s HMM-362 in flight Vietnam 1962

Its higher availability and reliability due to its simplicity compared to the newer helicopters led Marines to ask for it by name. The phrases "give me a HUS", "get me a HUS" and "cut me a HUS" entered the U.S. Marine Corps vernacular, being used even after the type was no longer in use to mean "help me out".Fails 1995, p. 9. USMC H-34s were also among the first

helicopter gunships An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive (military), offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their ...

trialled in theatre, being fitted with the Temporary Kit-1 (TK-1), comprising two M60C machine guns and two 19-shot 2.75 inch rocket pods. The operations were met with mixed enthusiasm, and the armed H-34s, known as "Stingers" were quickly phased out. The TK-1 kit would form the basis of the TK-2 kit used on the UH-1E helicopters of the USMC. An H-34 was featured in the famous early-Vietnam War

Time-Life Time Life, Inc. (also habitually represented with a hyphen as Time-Life, Inc., even by the company itself) was an American multi-media conglomerate company formerly known as a prolific production/publishing company and Direct marketing, direct ...

photo essay A photographic essay or photo-essay for short is a form of visual storytelling, a way to present a narrative through a series of images. A photo essay delivers a story using a series of photographs and brings the viewer along a narrative journey. ...

"One Ride With Yankee Papa 13", photographer

Larry Burrows Henry Frank Leslie Burrows (29 May 1926 – 10 February 1971), known as Larry Burrows, was an English photojournalist. He spent 9 years covering the Vietnam War. Early career Burrows began his career in the art department of the Daily Express ...

, which depicted stages of a disastrous combat mission in which several crew were wounded or killed.

Post-Vietnam War

The H-34 remained in service with United States Army and Marine Corps aviation units into the late 1960s; at this time it was also standard equipment in

Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps Reserve is an expedi ...

Army Reserve Army Reserve refers to a land-based military reserve force, including: *Army Reserve (Ireland) *Army Reserve (United Kingdom) *Australian Army Reserve *Canadian Army Reserve * New Zealand Army Reserve *United States Army Reserve *United States Navy ...

and

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...

aviation units, eventually being replaced by the

UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helic ...

utility helicopter. Sikorsky terminated all production activities in 1968, a total of 1,821 having been built.Endres, Günter G. ''Jane's Helicopter Markets and Systems''. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group, 1996. . All H-34 helicopters were retired from service in the U.S. military by the early 1970s; the type having the distinction of being the last piston-engined helicopter to be operated by the Marine Corps. On 3 September 1973, the last flight of a USMC UH-34 occurred as Bureau Number 147191 which had been formally assigned to Headquarters Squadron, FMF Pacific was flown from

Quantico, Virginia Quantico (; formerly Potomac) is a town in southeastern Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 578 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., bound ...

MCAS New River Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for General Keith B. McCutc ...

to be placed on static display.Fails 1995, p. 127.

France

France purchased an initial batch of 134 Choctaws; these were shipped in kit-form from the United States and locally assembled by

. Later, a further 166 were domestically manufactured by Sud-Aviation; these were operated by the

(

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

French Naval Aviation French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: (contraction of ), or , or more simply ) is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is . Born as a fusion of aircraft carrier squadrons and the naval pat ...

(

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

) and

Air force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

United Kingdom

The Wessex was used as an anti-submarine and utility helicopter with the Royal Navy and as a transport and search and rescue helicopter with the Royal Air Force. British Wessex saw action in several conflicts: Falklands, Oman, Borneo, Aden, etc. The twin-turbine Wessex served into the 21st century, and was one of the longest serving and successful of the H-34 types.

South Vietnam

Used by RVNAF 219th Squadron to insert MACV-SOG reconnaissance teams into Laos. The H-34 was the primary RVNAF helicopter until replaced by the Bell UH-1 Huey.

Israel

Israeli S-58s flew numerous combat missions after the end of the

; these missions were mainly against Palestinians infiltrating Israel or against their bases in Jordan. On 21 March 1968, various S-58s participated in the

Battle of Karameh The Battle of Karameh () was a 15-hour military engagement between Israel and the combined forces of Jordan and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the Jordanian border town of Karameh during the War of Attrition on 21 March 1968. ...

, bringing Israeli troops in and out of the theatre as well as evacuating the wounded. This was the last operation of the S-58 as it was retired shortly later, having been replaced by the newer

Bell 205 The Bell 204 and 205 are the civilian versions of the UH-1 Iroquois single-engine military helicopter of the Huey family of helicopters. They are type-certificated in the transport category and are used in a wide variety of applications, i ...

and

Aérospatiale Super Frelon Aérospatiale () was a major French state-owned aerospace and defence corporation. It was founded in 1970 as () through the merger of three established state-owned companies: Sud Aviation, Nord Aviation and SEREB. The company was headquart ...

Civilian use

The H-34's lift capacity was just sufficient to lift a Mercury space capsule. In 1961, the hatch of

Mercury-Redstone 4 Mercury-Redstone 4 was the second United States human spaceflight, on July 21, 1961. The suborbital Project Mercury flight was launched with a Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, MRLV-8. The spacecraft, Mercury capsule #11, was nicknamed ''Liber ...

was prematurely detached and the capsule was filled with seawater. The extra weight was too much for the H-34 and the capsule, ''Liberty Bell 7'', was emergency released and sank in deep water,Wade, Mark
"Mercury MR-4."
''astronautix.com,'' 29 April 2009. Retrieved (from archive): 26 July 2011. remaining on the ocean floor until 1999. Sikorsky set up a production line in 1970 to remanufacture existing S-58 aircraft into the S-58T configuration, replacing the R-1820 engine with a pair of

Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T Twin-Pac is a turboshaft engine designed for helicopters. Manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Canada, its first application was in the Bell 212 and UH-1N Twin Huey helicopter family. The PT6T Twin-Pac consists of two ...

-3 Twin-Pac

s; Sikorsky obtained a

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production is in compliance w ...

for the conversion in April 1971. The conversion enhanced safety, allowing the aircraft to continue flight after an engine failure, and greatly improved its

hot and high In aviation, hot and high is a condition of low air density due to high ambient temperature and high airport elevation. Air density decreases with increasing temperature and altitude. The lower air density reduces the power output from an airc ...

performance; whereas the R-1820 could only provide full power up to an altitude of , the paired PT-6s provide full power up to , and an S-58T can fly at maximum gross weight up to . The type certificate for the S-58T was sold to California Helicopter International in 1981. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, S-58T helicopters were operated by New York Helicopters in scheduled passenger airline service between

JFK International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is t ...

and

East 34th Street Heliport East 34th Street Heliport is a heliport on the east side of Manhattan located on the East River Greenway, between the East River and the FDR Drive viaduct. Also known as the Atlantic Metroport at East 34th Street, it is a public heliport own ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

In the early 1970s, Orlando Helicopter Airways developed a novel civil conversion of the S-55/H-19, the ''Heli-Camper'', a

campervan A campervan, also referred to as a camper, caravanette, motorhome or Recreational vehicle, RV (recreational vehicle) in North America, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term describes vans th ...

-like conversion—featuring a built-in mini-kitchen and sleeping accommodations for four. Later in that decade, Orlando developed a larger version based on the S-58 and participated in a joint effort with popular American

recreational vehicle A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and ca ...

(RV) manufacturer

Winnebago Industries Winnebago Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of motorhomes, a type of recreational vehicle (RV). In 2018, the company expanded into motorboat manufacturing with the acquisition of Chris-Craft Corporation. Winnebago has also manufactur ...

to market both aircraft as the Winnebago Heli-Home. The S-58 version featured a larger kitchenette, sleeping accommodations for six, a minibar, and an entertainment system; optional floats were offered for

amphibious Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to: Animals * Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water) * Amphibious caterpillar * Amphibious fish, a fish ...

operations. The aircraft were featured in several American popular magazines and reportedly drew large crowds at RV shows and dealerships, but their high purchase price together with rising 1970s fuel prices resulted in very limited sales; production is not well documented but is estimated at only six or seven of the S-55 and S-58 versions combined.

Variants

Pre-1962 USAF/Army designations

;H-34A :U.S. Army version of the HSS-1 powered by a 1,525 hp R-1820-84, re-designated CH-34A in 1962, 359 built and 21 transferred from the U.S. Navy. ;JH-34A :Designation for H-34A used for weapon tests. ;VH-34A :Staff transport conversions of H-34A. ;H-34B :H-34As converted with detail changes, became CH-34B in 1962. ;H-34C :H-34B design with detail changes converted from H-34As, became CH-34C in 1962. Choctaw helicopter gunship

US Navy designations

;XHSS-1 Seabat :Three Sikorsky S-58s for evaluation by the U.S. Navy, re-designated YHSS-1 then YSH-34G in 1962. ;HSS-1 Seabat :Production Anti-Submarine model for the U.S. Navy, re-designated SH-34G in 1962, 215 built ;HSS-1F Seabat :One HSS-1 re-engined with two YT-58-GE as a flying test bed, re-designated SH-34H in 1962. ;YHSS-1N Seabat :One HSS-1 converted as the HSS-1N prototype, re-designated YSH-34J in 1962. ;HSS-1N Seabat :Night/Bad weather version of the HSS-1 with improved avionics and autopilot, re-designated SH-34J in 1962, 167 built (an addition 75 HSS-1 airframes were built to CH-34C standard for West Germany). ;HUS-1 Seahorse :Utility transport version of the HSS-1 for the U.S. Marine Corps, re-designated UH-34D in 1962, 462 built ;HUS-1A Seahorse :Forty HUS-1s fitted with amphibious pontoons, re-designated UH-34E in 1962. ;HUS-1G Seahorse :United States Coast Guard version of the HUS-1, re-designated HH-34F in 1962, six built. ;HUS-1L Seahorse :Four HUS-1s converted for Antarctic operations with

VXE-6 Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6 or ANTARCTIC DEVRON SIX, commonly referred to by its nickname, The Puckered Penguins) was a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California with for ...

, re-designated LH-34D in 1962. ;HUS-1Z Seahorse :Seven HUS-1s fitted with VIP interior for the Executive Flight Detachment, re-designated VH-34D in 1962.

Post-1962 Tri-Service designations

;CH-34A :H-34A re-designated in 1962 ;CH-34B :H-34B re-designated in 1962 ;CH-34C :H-34C re-designated in 1962 ;JH-34C :Designation for CH-34C used for weapon tests. ;VH-34C :Staff transport conversions of CH-34C. ;HH-34D :Designation applied to aircraft given USAF serials to be transferred under

MAP A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...

and MDAP. ;LH-34D :HUS-1L re-designated in 1962 ;UH-34D :HUS-1 re-designated in 1962 and 54 new build. ;VH-34D :HUS-1Z re-designated in 1962 ;UH-34E :HUS-1A re-designated in 1962 ;HH-34F :HUS-1G re-designated in 1962 ;YSH-34G :YHSS-1 re-designated in 1962 ;SH-34G :HSS-1 re-designated in 1962 ;SH-34H :HSS-1F re-designated in 1962 SH-34 CVS-9 1962

;YSH-34J :YHSS-1N re-designated in 1962 ;SH-34J :HSS-1N re-designated in 1962 ;UH-34J :SH-34J without ASW equipment for cargo and training purposes. ;HH-34J :Ex-USN UH-34Js operated by the U.S. Air Force ;VH-34J :Staff transport conversions of SH-34J.

Canadian designations

;CH-126 :Canadian military designation for the S-58B.

Thai designations

;H.4 :()

Royal Thai Armed Forces The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF; ; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are managed by the Minist ...

designation for the H-34B. ;H.4A :() Royal Thai Armed Forces designation for the S-58T.

Civil variants

;S-58A :Commercial designation for basic cargo variant, certified in 1956 ;S-58B :Commercial designation for improved cargo variant, certified in 1956 Sikorsky S-58C

;S-58C :Commercial passenger transport/airliner version, certified in 1956 ;S-58D :Commercial airliner/freighter version, certified in 1961 ;S-58E :Certified in 1971 ;S-58F :Certified in 1972 an increased maximum weight variant of the S-58B. ;S-58G :Certified in 1972 an increased maximum weight variant of the S-58C. ;S-58H :Certified in 1972 an increased maximum weight variant of the S-58D. ;S-58J :Certified in 1972 an increased maximum weight variant of the S-58E ;S-58T :Commercial conversion to turboshaft power using

-3 Twin-Pac turboshaft with special nose cowling featuring distinctive twin rectangular air intakes, designations relate to original model: ;S-58BT :Turboshaft-powered conversion of the S-58B ;S-58DT :Turboshaft-powered conversion of the S-58D ;S-58ET :Turboshaft-powered conversion of the S-58E ;S-58FT :Turboshaft-powered conversion of the S-58F ;S-58HT :Turboshaft-powered conversion of the S-58H ;S-58JT :Turboshaft-powered conversion of the S-58J ;Orlando Heli-Camper / Winnebago Heli-Home :RV conversion by Winnebago Industries and Orlando Helicopter, fitted with a Wright Cyclone R-1820-24 engine ;Orlando Airliner :Commercial conversion. 18-seat passenger transport helicopter. 1980 06 24 II Dia 92 54 AAR

Licensed variants

;

: Licence production and development in the

Operators

; *

Argentine Air Force The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadie ...

Argentine Naval Aviation The Argentine Naval Aviation (', COAN) is the naval aviation branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands. Argentina, along with Brazilian Navy, Brazil is one of two South American countries to have operated two aircraft c ...

; *

Belgian Air Force The Belgian Air and Space Component (, ) is the Air force, air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force (; ). It was founded in 1909 and is one of the world's oldest air services. ...

Belgian Navy The Belgian Navy, officially the Naval Component (, ; , ; , ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the Navy, naval service of Belgium. History Early history The Belgian Navy was created as the ''Marine Royale'' () on 15 January 1831. This force ...

; *

Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...

; *

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

; *

Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy () is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense (Chile), Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Ori ...

; *

Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...

; *

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

; *

German Air Force The German Air Force (, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ) was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces of West Ger ...

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...

; * Haitian Air Corps ; *

Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...

; *

Italian Air Force The Italian Air Force (; AM, ) is the air force of the Italy, Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel III as the ("Royal Air Force ...

; *

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...

; *

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force The , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...

; *

Khmer Air Force The Khmer Air Force (; ; AAK), commonly known by its americanized acronym KAF was the air force component of the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK), the official military of the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War between 1970 and 1975 ...

;

Kingdom of Laos The Kingdom of Laos was the form of government in Laos from 1947 to 1975. Located in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, it was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the sou ...

Royal Lao Air Force The Royal Lao Air Force (; – AVRL), best known to the Americans by its English acronym RLAF, was the air force component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Royal Lao Government and the Kingdom of Laos during t ...

; *

Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy (, ) is the Navy, maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It traces its history to 8 January 1488, making it the List of navies, third-oldest navy in the world. During the 17th and early 18th centurie ...

; * Fuerza Aérea Sandinista ; *

Philippine Air Force The Philippine Air Force (PAF) () is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Initially formed as part of the Philippine Army as the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) in 1935, the PAAC eventually saw combat ...

; *Spain ; *

; *

Republic of China Army The Republic of China Army ( Chinese, 中華民國陸軍) also known as the ROC Army (ROCA); colloquially the Taiwanese Army ( Chinese, 台湾陆军) by western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as the National Military Army ( Chi ...

; *

Royal Thai Air Force The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) (; ) is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913 as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force has engaged in numerous major and minor conflicts. During the ...

; * Air America *

"S58 (CH-34, UH-34, VH-34, SH-34, HH-34, S-58A, C, D, S-58T)."
''Sikorsky Product History''. Retrieved: 5 March 2013. *

; *

Uruguayan Navy The National Navy of Uruguay () is a branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay under the direction of the Ministry of National Defense and the commander in chief of the Navy (''Comandante en Jefe de la Armada'' or COMAR). History Independence Und ...

Accidents and incidents

*27 July 1960 Chicago Helicopter Airways Flight 698 a S-58C registered N879 crashed into Forest Home Cemetery,

Forest Park, Illinois Forest Park (formerly Harlem) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. The population was 14,339 at the 2020 census. The Forest Park (CTA station), Forest Park terminal on the Chicago Transit Authority, CTA ...

, United States with the loss of 11 passengers and two crew. The investigation concluded that the helicopter became uncontrollable as a result of structural disintegration in flight caused by a fatigue failure of the main

rotor ROTOR was an elaborate air defence radar system built by the British Government in the early 1950s to counter possible attack by Soviet bombers. To get it operational as quickly as possible, it was initially made up primarily of WWII-era syst ...

blade. *14 November 1971 Sikorsky SH-34J, A-062 of the Uruguayan Navy lost control after trying to lift a ground vehicle in an airshow, the helicopter fell to the ground hitting another Sikorsky SH-34J Helicopter. The broken blades flew directly into the audience of the airshow killing 8 people and severely injuring and mutilating at least 40 more. Due to the unstable political situation of the country at the time, no investigation followed the accident. Several years later, many irregularities came to light: The helicopter condition was not good when it was purchased by the Uruguayan Navy, fuel used was not appropriate, temperature on the day of the accident was too high to attempt a heavy lift, and the co-pilot of the helicopter was a fixed wing pilot with no experience in rotary wing aircraft. *10 July 2002 Sikorsky S-58ET, N580US (S/N 58-1673, built 1963), struck power transmission lines with its tailwheel, ripping the aircraft in two, over Brookville Lake, Indiana. One crew member was killed; the other two crew members were rescued by boaters. The aircraft was operated by Midwest Helicopter Airways of Hinsdale, Illinois, and registered to Midwest Truxton International of Burr Ridge, Illinois. "Based on interviews with witnesses and the surviving pilots, there was no indication of any mechanical failure," said SGT. Steve Comer of the Indiana State Police. NTSB Accident Report #CHI02FA189 *13 March 2011 Sikorsky S-58ET, N33602, suffered an engine failure, descended and veered off the side of an office building in

El Segundo, California El Segundo ( , ; ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments. The population was 17,272 as of t ...

while lifting an external air conditioning unit from the roof. The commercial pilot was seriously injured and the helicopter was substantially damaged and consumed by a post-impact fire. The helicopter was registered to Heli Flight, Inc., and operated by Aris Helicopters.

Aircraft on display

Canada

* 130761 – H34C in storage at the

Reynolds-Alberta Museum The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is an agricultural museum, agricultural, industrial, and transportation museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. The museum is situated on an property containing the main museum building, an aviation display hangar, and ...

in Wetaskiwn, Alberta.

Chile

* Naval 52 – SH-34J on static display at

Viña del Mar Airport Concón Airport is an airport serving Greater Valparaíso, Chile. The airport is in the hills east of the coastal commune of Concón. It mainly serves as a military air base for the Chilean Navy aviation ("Base Aeronaval y Aeropuerto Concón"), ...

in Viña del Mar, Valparaíso. This airframe was the second of two received by the

and was exhibited for the first time after restoration at Exponaval 2014. It was previously on display at Alberto Widmer High School.

France

* HSS-1, No. 182, is on display at the Base d'aéronautique navale d'Hyères, the military part of the

Toulon–Hyères Airport Toulon–Hyères Airport (, ) is an international airport serving Toulon and Hyeres in southeastern France. The airport is located southeast of Hyères, and east of Toulon. It is also known as Hyères Le Palyvestre Airport. The airport opened ...

in France. Serving until 1977 with 31F squadron, it was one of the last operational H-34's in

. Now restored, No. 182 is displayed in the typical navy blue color of the

French navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

's helicopters of this time period. Sikorsky H-34 GIII vl

Germany

* 80+73 – SH-34G on static display at the

Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim Flugwerft Schleissheim is an aviation museum located in the German town of Oberschleißheim near Munich, it forms part of the Deutsches Museum collection and complements the aviation exhibits on display at the main site. The museum was opened on ...

Oberschleißheim Oberschleißheim (, , in contrast to " Lower Schleißheim") is a municipality in the district of Munich, and a suburb to Munich in Bavaria, in southern Germany. It is located 13 km north of Munich (centre). As of 2005 it had a population o ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

. * 81+09 – H-34 GIII on static display at the

Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg The Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg (Bückeburg Helicopter Museum) is located in the German town of Bückeburg, 30 miles (50 km) to the west of Hanover. The museum is the sole museum in Germany specialising in rotary-wing flight and one of few ...

in Bückeburg, Lower Saxony. * 58-0356 – S-58C on static display at the Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim in Sinsheim, Baden-Württemberg.

Indonesia

H-3402 – UH-34 on static display at

Dirgantara Mandala Museum Dirgantara Mandala Museum, officially known as the Central Museum of the Indonesian Air Force "Dirgantara Mandala", is a museum of the history of the Indonesian Air Force. Dirgantara Mandala Museum also has a comprehensive collection of aviation i ...

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...

. * H-3404 – S-58T on static display outside Dirgantara Mandala Museum in Yogyakarta. * H-3415 – S-58T on static display in front of Atang Senjaya airbase in

Bogor Bogor City (), or Bogor (, ), is a landlocked city in the West Java, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.

Netherlands

* A former Royal Netherlands Navy SH-34J Seabat bearing the markings of number 134 operating from Valkenburg naval air station is on display with folded rotor blades and tail in the newly opened "Nationaal Militair Museum" situated at the former airbase of

Soesterberg Soesterberg is a town in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Soest, and lies about 5 km northeast of Zeist, on the road between Amersfoort and Utrecht. It was the location of Soesterberg Air Base History T ...

. Previously the aircraft was displayed in the National Air Force museum at Kamp Zeist which has since closed down.

Thailand

* H4k-64/30 – Type 4A on static display at the

Royal Thai Air Force Museum The National Aviation Museum of the Royal Thai Air Force is located in Don Mueang District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is located on the Phahonyothin Road just to the south of Wing 6 of the domestic terminal of the Don Mueang International Airport, Don ...

in Bangkok, Bangkok. * Unknown ID – Type 4 on static display at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum in Bangkok, Bangkok.

Philippines

* 153131 – UH-34D on static display at the Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum in

Villamor Air Base Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base, known simply as Villamor Air Base , is the headquarters of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and shares runways with Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). It was formerly known as Nichols Field or Nichols ...

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...

United States

* 138460 – UH-34D on static display at the

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, aviation museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Its exhibits include the Hughes H-4 Hercules (''Spruce Goose'') and more than fifty military and civilian aircraft, unmanned ...

McMinnville, Oregon McMinnville is the county seat of and the most populous city in Yamhill County, Oregon, Yamhill County, Oregon, United States at the base of the Oregon Coast Range. The city is named after McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States cens ...

. * 143937 – UH-34D on static display at the Estrella Warbirds Museum in

Paso Robles, California Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles (Spanish for The Pass of Oaks), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River about north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its hot springs, ...

. * 143939 – H-34A on static display at the

USS Midway Museum The USS ''Midway'' Museum is a historical naval aircraft carrier museum in San Diego, California, United States, located at Navy Pier. The museum consists of the aircraft carrier . The ship houses an extensive collection of aircraft, many of ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

. * 145694 – UH-34J on static display at the

Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum The Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum in Horsham, Pennsylvania is a museum dedicated to preserving the aviation history of the Greater Delaware Valley including NAS Willow Grove and Harold F. Pitcairn. It is owned and operated by the Delaware Val ...

Horsham, Pennsylvania Horsham is a census-designated place in Horsham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,193 at the 2020 census. It is home to the Biddle Air National Guard Base at the former site of Naval Air Station ...

. This airframe was built in October 1958 and restored in April 1995. * 145717 – LH-34D on static display at the

New England Air Museum The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is an American aerospace museum located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The museum consists of three display hangars with additional storage and restoration hangars. Its ...

Windsor Locks, Connecticut Windsor Locks is a New England town, town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was ...

. * 145728 - HUS-1A Seahorse on static display in original Navy colors at the

Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter The Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter is located on Stinson Municipal Airport (which is the second oldest continuous operating airport in the United States). The Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF) is located six miles south of downtown San Anton ...

Stinson Municipal Airport Stinson Municipal Airport is seven miles south of downtown San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a '' reliever airport''. History Stinson Municipal Airport is t ...

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

* 147171 – UH-34D on static display in the Vietnam display next to at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. * 147173 – UH-34D in storage at the Connecticut Air & Space Center in

Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. The town is part of the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut, Greater Bri ...

. * 147191 – VH-34D is on static display at the New River Aviation Memorial at the front gate of

Marine Corps Air Station New River Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for General Keith B. McCut ...

Jacksonville, North Carolina Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 14th-most populous city in North Caroli ...

. This airframe was the last flying US Marine Corps H-34 in 1973. * 148002 – SH-34J on static display at the

Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum The Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum is a non-profit aviation museum located in Southern Colorado. It was founded in the mid-1970s by former Pueblo City Manager Fred Weisbrod. The museum is made up of two hangars that were built in 2005 and 2011. ...

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The ...

. * 148764 – UH-34D on static display at

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military ...

(former

Carswell AFB Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military ...

) near

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. * 148768 – UH-34D on static display at the

Udvar-Hazy Center The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, also called the Udvar-Hazy Center, is the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly, Virginia, Chantilly area of Fairfax C ...

of the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...

Chantilly, Virginia Chantilly is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 24,301 as of the 2020 census. Chantilly is named after an early-19th-century mansion and farm, which in turn took the name of an ...

. * 148963 – HH-34J on static display at the

Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (formerly the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor) is a non-profit founded in 1999 to develop an aviation museum in Hawaii. Part of Senator Daniel Inouye's vision for a rebirth of Ford Island, the museum hosts a vari ...

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. * 150213 – UH-34D on static display at

Fort Worth Aviation Museum The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located next to Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. The museum was rebranded in 2013 and was previously known as the Veterans Memorial Air Park. Mission The Fort Worth Aviatio ...

. Previously at Cavanaugh Flight Museum. * 150219 – UH-34D on static display at the

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is a United States Marine Corps aviation museum currently located at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. The museum contains exhibits and artifacts relating to the history and legacy of Unit ...

. * 150227 – UH-34D on static display at the

National Naval Aviation Museum The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its cur ...

Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United Sta ...

, Florida. * 150255 – UH-34D on static display at the Wings and Rotors Air Museum in

Murrieta, California Murrieta is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The population of Murrieta was 110,949 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Murrieta experienced a 133.7% population increase between 2000 and 2010, ma ...

. * 150553 – UH-34D on static display at the

USS Hornet Museum The USS ''Hornet'' Sea, Air & Space Museum is a museum ship, located on the southernmost pier of the former Naval Air Station Alameda in Alameda, California, US. The museum is composed of the aircraft carrier , exhibits from the NASA Apo ...

at the former

Naval Air Station Alameda Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station mostly in Alameda, California, with a slight portion of it within San Francisco proper, on San Francisco Bay. NAS Alameda had two runways: 13–31 measuring and ...

Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is built on an informal archipe ...

. This airframe entered service in August 1963 and was donated to the museum in 2003 by the Pima Air and Space Museum. * 150570 – UH-34D on static display at the

National Museum of the Marine Corps The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. Located in Triangle, Virginia near Marine Corps Base Quantico, the museum opened on November 10, 2006, and is now one of the top tourist attracti ...

Triangle, Virginia Triangle is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,188 at the 2010 census. It is bounded to the south by the Marine Corps Base Quantico, which surrounds the town of Qua ...

. * 154895 – UH-34D on static display at the

Palm Springs Air Museum Palm Springs Air Museum is an aviation museum in Palm Springs, California. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit leases from the city 17 acres abutting Palm Springs International Airport. The museum encompasses five themed hangars, outdoor displays, and a vis ...

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...

. * 53-4477 – CH-34G on static display at the

Air Force Flight Test Center Museum The Air Force Flight Test Museum is an aviation museum located at Edwards Air Force Base near Rosamond, California focused on the history of the Air Force Flight Test Center. History The Flight Test Museum Foundation was founded in 1983 by Caro ...

Edwards Air Force base Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, California, Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County and a souther ...

Edwards, California Edwards (formerly, Muroc and Wherry Housing) is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located east-southeast of Mojave, about northeast of Lancaster, east of Rosamond, and south of California City at an elevatio ...

. * 53-4526 – CH-34A in storage at the

United States Army Aviation Museum The United States Army Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located on Fort Novosel near Daleville, Alabama. It has the largest collection of helicopters held by a museum in the world.Phillips 1992, p. 37.Purner 2004, p. 204. The museum feature ...

near

Daleville, Alabama Daleville is a city in Dale County, Alabama, Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census the population was 5,295, up from 4,653 in 2000. It is part of the Dale County, Alabama, Ozark Micropolitan Statistic ...

. * 53-4544 – CH-34C on static display at the Camp San Luis Obispo Museum and Historical Site in

San Luis Obispo, California ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...

. * 54-0914 – CH-34C on static display at the Russell Military Museum in

Zion, Illinois Zion is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, the population was 24,655. History The city was founded in 1900 by John Alexander Dowie, a Scots-Australian evangelical minister and faith healer who had ...

. * 55-4496 – CH-34C in storage at the

Carolinas Aviation Museum The Sullenberger Aviation Museum, formerly the Carolinas Aviation Museum, is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is one of a few aviation museums located at an airport ...

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

. This airframe was previously on display at the

Florence Air & Missile Museum The Florence Air & Missile Museum was an aviation museum previously located at the entrance to the Florence Regional Airport, in Florence, South Carolina. The museum closed at the end of 1997. The airport was originally known as Florence Army Ai ...

Florence, South Carolina Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropol ...

. * 56-4320 – VH-34C on static display at the

near

. * 57-1684 – VH-34C on static display at the

Pima Air and Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum is an aerospace museum in Tucson, Arizona, US. It features a display of nearly 400 aircraft spread out over on a campus occupying . It has also been the home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame since 1991. Overvi ...

adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

. * 57-1698 – CH-34A on static display at the Allegheny Arms & Armor Museum in

Smethport, Pennsylvania Smethport is a borough in and the county seat of McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The mayor is Wayne V. Foltz. The population was 1,430 at the 2020 census. Smethport is part of the Bradford, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, Bradford, ...

. This airframe was previously on display at the

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum The ''Intrepid'' Museum (originally the ''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum) is a military and maritime history museum in New York City, United States. It is located at Pier 86 at 46th Street (Manhattan), 46th Street, along the Hudson River, ...

New York, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

. * 57-1705 – CH-34C on static display at

Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 Kilometre, km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, California, Fairfield, i ...

near

Fairfield, California Fairfield is a city in and the county seat of Solano County, California, United States, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The city has a diversified economy, with government, manufac ...

* 57-1708 – CH-34C on static display at the Pacific Coast Air Museum in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city in and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay A ...

. * 57-1725 – VH-34C on static display at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum near

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the List of c ...

Specifications (H-34 Choctaw)

Notable appearances in media

Notes

Bibliography

* Apostolo, Giorgio. ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters.'' New York: Bonanza Books, 1984. . * Duke, R.A. ''Helicopter Operations in Algeria'' [Translated French]. Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Army, 1959. * * Fails, William R. ''Marines & Helicopters, 1962–1973''. Darby, Pennsylvania: Diane Publishing, 1995. . * Griffin, John A. ''Canadian Military Aircraft Serials & Photographs 1920–1968''. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Queen's Printer, Publication No. 69-2, 1969. * Gunston, Bill. ''An Illustrated Guide To the Israeli Air Force''. London: Salamander Books, 1982. . * Leuliette, Pierre. ''St. Michael and the Dragon: Memoirs of a Paratrooper'', New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1964. * Mesko, Jim: ''Airmobile: The Helicopter War in Vietnam''. Carollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1984. . * Riley, David. "French Helicopter Operations in Algeria." ''Marine Corps Gazette'', February 1958, pp. 21–26. * Shrader, Charles R. ''The First Helicopter War: Logistics and Mobility in Algeria, 1954–1962''. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1999. . * Spenser, Jay P. ''Whirlybirds: A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers''. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press, 1998. .

External links

*
HELIS.com Sikorsky S-58/H-34/HSS-1/HUS-1 Database
{{Authority control H-034 H-34, Sikorsky United States military helicopters 1950s United States helicopters Single-engined piston helicopters Twin-turbine helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1954 Single-rotor helicopters Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear

Development

Operational history

Algerian War

Vietnam War

Post-Vietnam War

France

United Kingdom

South Vietnam

Israel

Civilian use

Variants

Pre-1962 USAF/Army designations

US Navy designations

Post-1962 Tri-Service designations

Canadian designations

Thai designations

Civil variants

Licensed variants

Operators

Accidents and incidents

Aircraft on display

Canada

Chile

France

Germany

Indonesia

Netherlands

Thailand

Philippines

United States

Specifications (H-34 Choctaw)

Notable appearances in media

See also

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

External links