Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight

Boeing Rotorcraft Systems · United States · first flew 1958 · transport aircraft

The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight was a twin-turboshaft tandem-rotor medium-lift helicopter that served as the backbone of US Marine Corps assault helicopter transport for five decades, carrying troops and cargo to and from amphibious ships.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.66 m fuselage
T — Tail	No tailplane

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Spot it by:

Tandem rotor medium-lift helicopter
Rear loading ramp for troops and cargo
Nicknamed 'Phrog' by US Marine Corps crews

Tandem rotor layout with two three-blade rotors fore and aft, a rear loading ramp, and characteristic upswept rear fuselage; no tail rotor, with the aft pylon angled to carry the rear rotor.

Specifications

The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight has a length of 13.66 m (45 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.54 m (51 ft).
Its maximum speed is 267 km/h (166 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1958 as the Model 107, the Sea Knight entered Marine Corps service in 1964 and saw extensive use in Vietnam. It was progressively upgraded and remained in USMC service until 2015, when it was finally replaced by the MV-22 Osprey.

Variants

CH-46A, D, E, and F are the main USMC variants with progressive engine and transmission upgrades; HH-46D was a Navy search-and-rescue version; Canada operated it as the CH-113 Labrador.

Where you'll see it

Served USMC and US Navy from 1964 to 2015; operated by Canada, Sweden (as HKP 4), Japan (KV-107), and several other nations. Widely used in disaster relief as well as combat operations.

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