CH-46E
SEA KNIGHT

Poco después de la constitución de Vertol Aircraft Corporation, en marzo de 1956, esta compañía inició el estudio de un proyecto de transporte comercial biturbina. En la formulación del proyecto se tuvo un cuidado especial en asegurar el que también resultase apto para uso militar en caso de que las fuerzas armadas demostraran interés en su adquisición. Como resultado de ello se adoptó una disposición de rotores en tándem desarrollada por Vertol y anteriormente por Piasecki, dadas sus conocidas prestaciones y fiabilidad. Para limitar el ruido y conseguir el máximo espacio para la cabina, los motores se montaron sobre el fuselaje, en el extremo posterior de la cabina. Para facilitar el acceso de la carga se dispuso una gran rampa en la parte posterior, lo suficientemente robusta como para permitir el acceso de vehículos. Su fuselaje estanco le permitía operar tanto desde el agua como desde tierra.

En mayo de 1957 se empezó la fabricación de un prototipo, una vez adjudicada la designación Vertol Modelo 707, registrándose el primer vuelo el 22 de abril de 1958. Cuando el US Marine Corps mostró interés en este aparato, se modificó uno de ellos como Boeing Vertol Modelo 107M y propulsado mediante motores T58-GE-8 resultó ganador en el concurso de proyectos celebrado en 1961 pasandose a fabricarse en serie bajo la designación HRB-1 (sustituida en 1962 por CH-46A) y con el nombre de SEA KNIGHT. El primer CH-46A voló el 16 de octubre de 1964 y desde aquel momento se han fabricado toda una serie de versiones.

In 1956, the Vertol Aircraft Corporation began developing a turbine-powered member of the "flying banana" family pioneered by Frank Piasecki. The result was a new design which was more compact than the previous angular-fuselage type, with a watertight belly to permit ditching and the powerplant installed at the base of the tail pylon.

The new Model 107 prototype with two 877shp Lycoming T53 turbines flew on 12 August 1958. In July of that year, the US Army ordered 10 Model 107s, designated YHC-1A, with the uprated 1065shp General Electric YT58 turbine and a rotor diameter increased by 0.6m. The first YHC-1A flew on 27 August 1959, but in the meantime, the US Army had ordered five YHC-1Bs (Model 114), a scaled-up variant which was better suited to meet its need for a tactical transport helicopter, and consequently the order for the Model 107 was reduced to only three machines. The third of these was later returned to the company, which converted it into the Model 107-11, prototype of the civil version.

However, when the US Navy set up a new design competition for a medium-lift transport helicopter in 1960, this was won by the Boeing-Vertol 107M, a modified version of the YHC-1A. A batch of 50 was initially ordered, the first of which was tested in October 1962. Designated CH-46A Sea Knight, the 107M was used for troop transport. During the Vietnam War the Marines also installed a 7.62mm machine gun, which was fired through the cabin door. A total of 498 have been ordered by the Marine Corps and 24 by the US Navy. Several variants have been produced including the CH-46A for the Marines (160); the UH-46A Sea Knight for the US Navy (24); the CH-46D with an uprated engine for the Marines (266); the UH-46D for the US Navy (10); the UH-46B for evaluation by the USAF; the RH-46E minehunters for the US Navy, and the CH-46F for the Marines (174), which is similar to the CH-46D but with improved electronics. Seven civil aircraft were used by New York Airways from 1962, while 18, designated CH-113, were ordered by the Canadian Air Force and 14, designated HPK-4, by Sweden.

The Model 107 has also been built under license in Japan by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in civil and military versions: the KV-107/11-2 commercial version for passenger transport adopted by Kawasaki, the Thai government and New York Airways; the KV-107/11-3 minehunters; the KV-107/11-4 for tactical transport, 59 of which have been built for the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force; the KV-107/11-5 rescue version for the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force and the Swedish Navy (38 built); the KV-107/11-7 six-eleven-seat VIP transport version, only one of which has been built for the Thai government; and the KV-107/IIA version for hot climates and high altitudes.

Characteristics
Características

Information
Información

Characteristics
Características

Information
Información

2 G.E.
T58-GE-16

2 / 25

1870 shp each
1770 shp Cont.

15537 Lbs

11970 Fts

24300 Lbs

 14000 Fts

134 Kts

 Mts

143 Kts

365 NM