Quote:
Originally Posted by phayman53
I couldn't find any other smaller helicopters with a boat hull design besides the HH-52. Most seem to be in the size range of the S-61. The Russian Mi-8, for instance, is larger than the S-61.
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I wonder if the Mi-8 could be converted into a
Mil Mi-14 or if the boat hull requires it to be built that way from the start. I assume that's the case.
It's actually likely that Kessler's people tried to use their connections in the international arms trade* to obtain Soviet amphibious SAR helicopters in the early 90s. Maybe they managed to acquire one Mi-14, to go with a Mi-8 or two.
*Kessler has some old buddies who were moderately successful in the grayish-to-black field of that business. These profited wildly from the fall of the Soviet Union.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phayman53
However, if you needed amphibious ability in a smaller sized helicopter, you could apparently put floats on the skids of a UH-1 (which also probably means it is sufficiently resistant to salt water for ship board use):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/41910848@N06/34634527610
Actually, you can probably find a way to put floats on many helicopters with skids, but I am sure there is a performance hit. |
Great, thanks!