Gunny, I was there in early '67 at MMAF when the last "Duce" left country with what was told to me by the last oldest active serving warrant officer (s?) flying it off. There were many parts to this plane in the "bone yard' where we spent many of the days looking for "things" to add/replace to our own 34s. Out side of the "Widow Makers" (synced main rotors) this is another one I wished I had the opportunity to fly in.
Semper Fi,
jd "Falcon"

Dueces

What I recall most about those big birds was watching them disappear below the flight deck of the Princeton and wondering how in the name of god would such an aircraft every rise from the sea . . . but they did - each and every time.

I was offered a ride on one of them from Dong Ha to Da Nang. It had a crack in pylon skin near the tail rotor. I declined.
Lanny

All I can tell you is that the short time I worked on them as a "raggie" I was ALWAYS covered in oil and 5606.

We would work for 3 or 4 days and maybe, just maybe get it in the air for an hour.

It was the most closely packed bunch of "Monkey Motion" that I had ever seen or have seen since.

They were so ugly they were "cute"!!!

Roth, how was it for the crewchief to load... I mean weight wise?
jd "Falcon"

Falcon,

If you mean how much could we put into the bird, it seems as if it was just under what we could carry in a 46.

Probably about 2,000 lbs., if I remember right. But the Center of Gravity was very narrow and a little tricky.

It seems that the pilots would complain about not having enough cyclic on occasion. Some times it would be aft, and other times it would be forward.

We didn't worry about lateral CG though. I guess that was pretty much with all the helos.

I can't speak for the Hueys, Cobras or 53s. I never worked on them.

Junkman operations

I was a crewchief with the Deuces in Subunit 1, H&MS-16 from July 66 till we towed the last one to the deep water pier at Danag in April '67. So they did not fly off into the sunset. Although they required a lot of maintenance, we were always able to knock out 10 to 12 hours of flight time daily.working out of Dong Ha mostly. We hauled everything you could think of. Milk from Danang, parts for the other squadrons,ammo for the grunts, fuel for tanks, and our best job, bringing up pallets of beer from Danang for the Dong Ha folks.
We had the same problems that all helicopters had. Temperature affected carrying capacity. Generally 6000 lbs was the limit, subtract fuel and that was your load. We could normally carry 3000 lbs internally.
I was crewchief of Junkman 2. The only deuce that had a heater because I left mine installed when it came in from overhaul. Therefore it was the most popular machine on the line. We usually got the most flight time.
It was a helicopter that once you understood it, you would not fly anything else. I transferred to HMM361 after the Deuces left and it sure was strange hearing that little engine wind up for take off after having flown with the CH-37C and listenig to that R2800 roar.

Mario Aguirre

I remember as the pilot walked out to the duce. Someone next to me had told me that the pilot was the oldest active duty warrant officers in the Corps. I never saw the planes again. Some of the parts in the "junk yard" went into others planes as extras for gun set-ups and other parts for modifications of their planes. I enjoyed looking at them ( Duces) and have wanted to ride in one. You were in 361 at the same time as I was. YN-22 crewchief.
jd "Falcon"

Duece sea story

This story circulated around at Santa Ana in the 1959/60 timeframe: It was said that a HR2S crew chief wanted to have some fun at the expense of the green infrantry Marines he was hauling. He rigged up a stationary bicycle in the cabin with the chain going up in the main gearbox area. Pilots had to be in on this. Just prior to liftoff the crew chief got on the bicycle and started pedaling like hell. After gaining altitude he asked the pilot to autorotate. The minute the aircraft started decending he jumped off the bicycle. The passengers almost killed themselves trying to take his Place on the bicycle thinking it was what was keeping them airborne. Funny but probably not true.....anyone else hear this story? SF

wish I had thought of that one! lol
jd "Falcon"

Another story, tale or work of fiction: I was told that a Marine aviator actually did a loop with a 'Deuce.' Would love to have seen that piece of stunt work.

Deuces were still at Marble Mountain in November 1966 when I arrived in-country...and you are correct...they were a little more noisy than the 34's...fun to watch with those 'Eyes' when they took off.

loop???

When I hired in at Sikorsky was told that a Duece at New River was turning on the ground when a birdbrain attempted to adjust the collective aux servo. With rotors turning at hover power. Needles to say the helicopter jumped off the ground and reportedly did a complete (roll or loop) and landed undamaged. I talked to the junior Rep that said he was in the bird.:rolleyes: 🙁 Always the 10%!!! SF PM

Those wonderful flying machines

I think it would be very difficult to loop a deuce on the ground.
I saw an H-34 at H&MS 16 come out for a test flight and the servos were hooked up backwards, that is high presure to low pressure fittings. It did not loop very well either. We had a dead H-34 on its side and pieces of rotor blades everywhere. Fortunately no one got hurt. Scared the s---t out of a bunch of us on the flight line. The test pilot was not too happy.

Falcon, I was in section 3 with SSGT Moon Mullins. SGT Washington and I were the sergeants that fixed all the section's helicopters for the gas and oil crewchiefs we had. GYSGT Williams was maint control. Top Mcdonald was maint chief.

The Chief.

Loop /roll ???

Loop or roll something happened in the air that those aboard discribed as up & over before landing undamaged. I am sure they were in a rapid movement & didnot imagine the incident. Am checking with my friends at Sikorsky to see if they can locate a report of the incident. Would add that with the primary servos reversed as you discribed, there would be a diffrent reaction as compared to a hardover in the Aux collective servo. (More direct control movement as compared to a violent movement with the primary condition on the H34 incident) also the other Aux channels would probably react with ASE as in a normal collective imput, not to mention the pilots reactions. SF PM

confirm Duece roll over

Just recieved confirmation from Sikorsky field support ; they confirm the incident as I discribed in April 1964 . The representative there at that time was Mr Phil K. Stewart. SF PM

Looping Deuce

Yo buddy,
That had to have been one hell of a ride. Don't think I would have liked to have been there for that one.
Thanks for all the research. Always something new coming up even after all these years.

I had heard of an H-34 looping in flight. And Then the H-34, I saw at Marble Mountain. But this must have been a beauty.

SF!
Mario Aguirre

Loops & rides

Yep the man I talked to that was supposed to be in that episode was certainly impressed . Mostly that it could happen that close to the ground and land with no damage!!! Many dont know that the first helicopter to loop & did several in the flight was the little HO5S-1 that was in the VMO units 1951. It was at the Bridgeport Sikorsky Factory in 1950 while it was in flight test status prior to military issue. While at Okinawa 1973-1987 I obtained the film of that flight for 462 to view. Many things come back in our exchanges!!! SF PM:)

FYI

First helicopter to "loop" ?

First helicopter to "Loop & Roll" ?

Source: Sikorsky Historical files

http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/archive2.html

S52

I was one year off 1949 VS 1950. The S52 was the civil version of the HO5S-1 Marine bird. I attended the first HO5S-1 factory class at the old Bridgeport factory while in VMO-2 early 1951. Than was Line Chief on them in VMO-6 Korea 1953. Neat little underpowered bird. SF PM