SIKORSKY H-34 ‘IN EUROPE’

The Sikorsky UH-34 or H-34 (another designation: S-58) was a single-engine, multi-purpose helicopter of American production, with a metal, half-shell structure in a classic configuration with a main rotor and a tail rotor on the beam. The drive was provided by a single Wright R-1820-84 radial engine with 1525 hp. The flight of the first prototype took place in 1954, and serial production in the USA was carried out in the years 1954-1970. In Great Britain, the H-34 was manufactured by Westland under the name Wessex. It is estimated that about 2,100 copies of the ego helicopter were built. The H-34 was created as a very far-reaching development of the Sikorsky UH-19 helicopter. First of all, the shape of the hull was completely changed, but the layout with the engine in the nose, in front of the transport compartment, was kept. The engine and the main rotor were also changed. The avionics were also modified. The result was a machine that resembles the UH-19 externally, but has greater lifting capacity and performance. Many development versions were created in the course of serial production. The basic version was the H-34A, which was a strictly transport machine. Later, a version of the HSS-1 Seabat was created, created for the US Navy for anti-submarine warfare (ZOP). A special version was also created for the US Coast Guard, designated HUS-1G. The Sikorsky H-34 turned out to be a successful machine, which enjoyed great interest among foreign buyers. The machine was exported to, among others, Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, France, Israel and Germany. The Sikorsky H-34 took part in, among others, the war in Algeria (1954-1962) and the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975).