Should it have been saved?

[hairy]

I have being meaning to post this for awhile, it's not quite a NZ historic a/c but it met its end here.

About 18 months ago I was going through Palmerston north and I came across the following sad sight........



I remembered in the Wings Directory that there was a "Sikorsky S-61" listed as being in storage in PN, but upon closer inspection I saw that this a/c had a cargo ramp which a S-61 does not have, so I took a photo of the reg. and did a little research.



Even though it was (is) registered as a S-61R it turns out that it was actually a HH-3E Jolly Green Giant!
N650DC / 65-12783 / c/n61558
Which can be clearly seen in this photo..........

www.zkarj.co.nz/aviation/photo.php?id=av0385

It also had a rather interesting history;

Not only was it a combat Jolly Green based out of DaNang in Vietnam in 1967 but was also one of two HH-3s that made the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic to the Paris Airshow which took 30 hours with 9 in-flight refuelings. Also when it was based at Homestead AFB in Florida it was one of the SAR a/c for the Shuttle program.

And here is the crux of this post......................
Surely it deserved a better end in a Museum somewhere?

Whats your opinion?

Here's some more pix...................

[Bruce]

I recall seeing this aircraft fly into Hamilton approx 1997, there was a bit of discussion about what it was - it certainly looked impressive - unfortunately its a bit late now

[kiwi]

I was completely unaware of its history , it had been there for a number of years , I think it was a spares ship for another airworthy one .

[corsair67]

Another historic aviation relic slowly disappears.

Did you grab yourself a piece of it, Hairy?

[Dave Homewood]

I had no idea any Jolly Green Giants had come to NZ. Sad to see a historic aircraft cut up like that. Is there anything left of it now?

[flyjoe180]

Very sad end for that Jolly Green Giant. Looks a little beyond repair doesn't it. Also at Palmy is a derelict UH-1 Iroquois with the smaller cabin (a B model perhaps?).

[vgp]

I had no idea any Jolly Green Giants had come to NZ. Sad to see a historic aircraft cut up like that. Is there anything left of it now?

it upset queenstown locals during a lifting job down their a few years back - receiving a heap of noise complaints from the locals. personally would be happy to have seen it in person, as with Kiwi's comments I think that one at palmy was for spares part for the other as the one in flying condition was white.

Also at Palmy is a derelict UH-1 Iroquois with the smaller cabin

may be the Garlick Bell Uh-1L from helipro that crashed on Mt Victoria?

[flyjoe180]

Don't think so, the L model appears to have the longer cabin as found on the Model 205 UH-1D model and beyond. The Palmy example looks more like a Model 204 B or C Huey.

[flyjoe180]

Found this:

Bell UH-1F-BF Iroquois...

...7928 (c/n 7069) converted to UH-1P. To AMARC as HF0160, then to unknown user. Seen in disassembled state with Helipro, Palmerston North, New Zealand Mar 13, 2007.

home.att.net/~jbaugher/1965.html

[flyjoe180]

In 1962, aircraft designations were standardized and the Huey HU-1 series became the UH-1 series. Within that series, the Model 204 had suffixes A, B, C, E, F, K, L, M and P. The Model 205 carried either the D or H suffix....

....In 1963, the Air Force ordered the UH-1F, a 1,100-horsepower General Electric T58-GE-3 engine for use in a support role. The Air Force also obtained the UH-1P for psychological warfare in Vietnam.

www2.hurlburt.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3436



And to set the facts straight about the P designation:

United States Air Force UH-1P Huey Gunships

The UH-1F served the 20th SOS as a 'slick' or troop carrier - and when heavily armed, it was designated the UH-1P. Most sources will state that the UH-1P was used for 'psywar' missions in Southeast Asia because government released versions of 20th SOS activities say so. However, the UH-1P was, in fact, a gunship armed with pintle-mounted miniguns and rocket pods on the hard points. Twenty six UH-lF's were converted to UH-1P Gunships, with most of them being assigned to the Green Hornets. This model was unique to the 20th SOS, with 'F' and 'P' designations often being used interchangeable within the unit.

There were only 20 UH-1P Huey helicopters built and delivered to the U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command. This particular type Huey was used for the gunship role. It was armed with a pair of GAU-2B/A 7.62 mm mini guns and two LAU-59/A 2.75 mm rocket pods mounted on both sides of the aircraft. The mini guns could be locked into a forward position and could be fired by the aircraft commander (the pilot) or it could be aimed and fired manually by the door gunners in the cabin. During the Vietnam War there was a total of 6 UH-1F/P's lost to enemy combat.

www.marchfield.org/uh1f.htm

[hairy]

UH-1P (Converted from a UH-1F) 65-7928 was bought in as a spares ship for Helipros F model, but that crashed in Wellington. Since it was no longer needed it was "put out to grass", it has since been sold as a Movie prop.





On the other hand the HH-3E, N650DC, was not a spares a/c, it was bought in for logging operations by Helipro...............

The following is from www.jollygreen.org ..............
(the southern-cross link does not work)

We bought 65-12783 (N650DC) from North West Helicopters in Olympia, Washington. They purchased the aircraft from Robinson Aircrane who type certified it in the Restricted category in Sept 1995. North West flew the helicopter from Florida to Olympia where the aircraft went into storage. We purchased the Helicopter in July of 1998. The aircraft was flown by myself and Dev Anderson (ex Canadian Helicopters) from Olympia to Longbeach in California where it was partially dismantled for shipping on the cargo container vessel, the "Direct Kookaburra".It left Longbeach on August the 8th and arrived in New Zealand at the port of Auckland on August 24th where it was reassembled and flown to our base at Stony Creek, Palmerston North. On its arrival we went to work on pilot training. This was completed mid Sept. As soon as the training was completed the aircraft underwent the 1st stage of its weight loss program. This shed close to 1400lbs from its empty weight (its now 12495lbs empty) At this time the hook was upgraded and various other mods where incorporated for external load work. It started its 1st revenue job on October 6th 1998. If you go to "www.southern-cross.co.nz", then click on "helicopter photos" you will find a series of great shots taken by Neville Dawson of 783 on its 1st revenue job (These shots are towards the bottom of the montage. There are about seven I think?) The aircraft has performed faultlessly since we have had it (other than a fuel probe in the aft tank that went U/S during training). Currently crewing 783 are pilots Rick Lucas, myself and Mark Young. Al and Sy Spence are maintaining it for us. The aircrafts total time is now 6510.

Apparently there were moves to place it on the NZ register as ZK-HYK before its accident.
The link to the CAA accident brief is below............

www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Accident_Details.asp?Oc=00/299

[hairy]

corsair67 said:

Did you grab yourself a piece of it, Hairy?

Nah, and I have no idea why not.

[Bruce]

The final stage of its "weight loss programme" looks pretty effective!

maybe some flightsimmers would like the Cockpit shell?

[Gavin Conroy]

Now thats an aircraft I have fond memories of.
It did fly in NZ and I saw it operating in the Marl Sounds.
The aircraft was carting building materials in for some project.
I have some good photos of it lifting gear and these photos are in my next lot to be scanned.
It crashed about a week after I took the photos.
Awesome sight and sound and always wondered what happened to it after the accident.

[Dave Homewood]

What was the film that the UH-1 was used in?

[hairy]

admin said:

What was the film that the UH-1 was used in?

No idea sorry, it may not have started shooting yet, the sale happened 1st quarter last year.

[eastbayjim]

Does anyone still have the photos of the H-3 (S-61R's) and the UH-1P at Palmerston north? If so could you please send me any that you may have. Thanks

[ZacYates]

Further bump! I'd love to see any photos of N650DC, be it operational or - as it was the only time I saw it - as a hulk at Palmy.

Preferably operational. I've never seen those!

[markrogers]

I remember years ago , I think it was in the 1990's, there was a HH-3 Jolly Green Giant operating in Nelson and it crashed into a riverbed in a remote valley in the Wairoa Gorge. The hulk was left there on the riverbed in the valley for many years. It was just a shell as a lot of parts and components were removed from it and the fuselage was just left there. Years later I saw it again, at Nelson Airport. I've always wondered what had happened to it. Maybe it's the same one that was in Palmerston North?

[ZacYates]

Jan 28, 2020 14:48:14 GMT 12 markrogers said:

I remember years ago ...

It's one and the same. I had a look at the FAA's accident brief last night and it mentioned that N650DC went down in that gorge.