Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low

Sikorsky Aircraft · United States · first flew 1967 · helicopter

The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low series was a long-range special operations and combat search and rescue helicopter for the US Air Force, retired in 2008.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Sponsons on the fuselage sides, with an in-flight refuelling probe on the right side of the nose
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Heavy-lift single-rotor helicopter developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion
Sponsons on the fuselage sides, with an in-flight refuelling probe on the right side of the nose
Two General Electric T64 turboshaft engines

A large green Sikorsky heavy helicopter with terrain-following radar and a forward-looking infrared sensor on the nose, and a refuelling probe on the starboard side.

Specifications

The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low has a length of 20.6 m (68 ft).
It has a wingspan of 21.95 m (72 ft).
Its maximum speed is 310 km/h (193 mph).
Typical crew: 6.

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

History

It was developed from the HH-53B/C, the Air Force rescue version of the CH-53 Sea Stallion, which first flew on 15 March 1967. The HH-53 was meant to replace the HH-3E.

Variants

The HH-53B and HH-53C rescue versions led to the MH-53J Pave Low III and the MH-53M Pave Low IV. Seventy-two were built.

Where you'll see it

It flew rescue missions in Vietnam, including the Son Tay raid and the 1975 Mayagüez incident, and special operations in Panama, Afghanistan and Iraq. The MH-53J/M fleet was retired in September 2008.

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