The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery, Troisième partie: la vengeance!

[Gatordev]

I'm curious the "why" on two IRCMs up top. If you can't put one on the bottom like everyone else, is the second one doing anything more than the first up top?

And is that a MK-25 launcher under the pilot? I suppose that could come in handy for Plot Stab so the AW doesn't have sling one out the door while trying to do his thing on the console.

This was one of the highest velocity NAVAIR programs I ever witnessed. Word is it was SWOs that advocated for the program.

I'd be curious to know why, if it was such a hight-velocity, SWO advocated program, that the B didn't have the Armed Helo Kit from the beginning.

@Griz882 do you have a time-frame on the picture? I know there was overlap between the H-2 and the Block 1 Upgrade for the Bravo, so it would be interesting to know when this was taken. From the way the FFG deck is configured, it looks like it's still the early to mid 80's.

I'm wondering if this is a T700-engined bird, as well.

 

[ChuckMK23]

I'm wondering if this is a T700-engined bird, as well.

SH-2F = T58

 

[Griz882]

I'm curious the "why" on two IRCMs up top. If you can't put one on the bottom like everyone else, is the second one doing anything more than the first up top?

And is that a MK-25 launcher under the pilot? I suppose that could come in handy for Plot Stab so the AW doesn't have sling one out the door while trying to do his thing on the console.



I'd be curious to know why, if it was such a hight-velocity, SWO advocated program, that the B didn't have the Armed Helo Kit from the beginning.

@Griz882 do you have a time-frame on the picture? I know there was overlap between the H-2 and the Block 1 Upgrade for the Bravo, so it would be interesting to know when this was taken. From the way the FFG deck is configured, it looks like it's still the early to mid 80's.

I'm wondering if this is a T700-engined bird, as well.

I believe it is 1988/89 but on this particular airframe the mod was done in 1987.

 

[Gatordev]

I believe it is 1988/89 but on this particular airframe the mod was done in 1987.

So now I have even more questions... That airframe has a BUNO of 162577, which matches your date, and is after the Block 0 series of -60Bs. But why did they put a new BUNO on it? Any idea? The normal BUNO series for H-2Fs appears to be 149xxx-152xxx.

I double-checked Google for "152577" and it says that's a -46, so I think I'm reading the "6" correctly on the tail (I went to the actual Wikipedia picture to blow it up).

 

[ChuckMK23]

So now I have even more questions... That airframe has a BUNO of 162577, which matches your date, and is after the Block 0 series of -60Bs. But why did they put a new BUNO on it? Any idea? The normal BUNO series for H-2Fs appears to be 149xxx-152xxx.

I double-checked Google for "152577" and it says that's a -46, so I think I'm reading the "6" correctly on the tail (I went to the actual Wikipedia picture to blow it up).

You are correct on the BuNo of 162577. And indeed it is puzzling.

Here's a sister ship

U.S. Navy Bureau Number (BuNo) 161655 refers to a Kaman SH-2F Seasprite

Perhaps MEF MOD birds received new BuNo as part of their modification?
Riding my bike to go see the Commodore and see what their history files have to say!

 

[Griz882]

So now I have even more questions... That airframe has a BUNO of 162577, which matches your date, and is after the Block 0 series of -60Bs. But why did they put a new BUNO on it? Any idea? The normal BUNO series for H-2Fs appears to be 149xxx-152xxx.

I double-checked Google for "152577" and it says that's a -46, so I think I'm reading the "6" correctly on the tail (I went to the actual Wikipedia picture to blow it up).

There I don’t have an answer, but they are great questions. I doubt a mod would trigger a new BUNO but….

 

[ChuckMK23]

@Gatordev Here is a list of H-2 BuNo's - the timing of the actual assignments by NAVAIR would be interesting to know.

The first operational SH-2D/LAMPS helicopter embarked on the USS Belknap (CG-26) in December 1971. Eventually all but two H-2s in the Navy inventory were remanufactured into SH-2Fs, and 59 SH-2Fs were built from the ground up in the 1980s. The final production procurement of the SH-2F was in Fiscal Year 1986. The SH-2F was retired from active service in in the late 1990s. Some late-production SH-2Fs were either completed as, or have been converted to, SH-2Gs.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Here's a CNATRA PA pic published today - TW1/2 CQ Det aboard IKE for E-2 pipeline SNAs. Love the all over grey livery. T-6's are destined for this color scheme as well.

 

[Griz882]

@Gatordev Here is a list of H-2 BuNo's - the timing of the actual assignments by NAVAIR would be interesting to know.

The first operational SH-2D/LAMPS helicopter embarked on the USS Belknap (CG-26) in December 1971. Eventually all but two H-2s in the Navy inventory were remanufactured into SH-2Fs, and 59 SH-2Fs were built from the ground up in the 1980s. The final production procurement of the SH-2F was in Fiscal Year 1986. The SH-2F was retired from active service in in the late 1990s. Some late-production SH-2Fs were either completed as, or have been converted to, SH-2Gs.

View attachment 46151

I do know that the one in my photo eventually ended up with Egyptian navy.

 

[ChuckMK23]

I do know that the one in my photo eventually ended up with Egyptian navy.

Fun fact HC-6 squadron mate had a dynamic rollover mishap in a brand new SH-2G as a brand new SELRES at Willow Grove. Total 'unforced error' on his part - of course a retired out of the Reserves as an O-6. Aircraft destroyed and stricken.

 

[Gatordev]

Here's a sister ship

From my alma mater. It's interesting that the armed helo version was never really discussed when I was a JO. We had one H-2 guy still around when I first showed up, but generally I think the community was over the H-2 pilots, so maybe it was never discussed because everyone wanted to move on. That and the JOs being was so irritated with how "tactical" the H-60Bs Block 1s were despite no one allowing us to shoot at anything (other than with snipers).

the timing of the actual assignments by NAVAIR would be interesting to know.

I use the following as a gauge:

160xxx: early 80's (-ish)
162xxx: 1986-87 (162118 was 1986, for example)
164xxx: 1991-92 (164847...Christine...was 1992, for example)
168xxx: 2018
169xxx: 2020-21

I'm one of the nerds that looked at data plates, so I kept a mental list of who and when. My last flight in the Navy was a brand spanking new Romeo that was 168xxx.

I doubt a mod would trigger a new BUNO but….

It can happen. Chuck's list is interesting though because it makes it seem like they were still building H-2s into the late 80's. Google seems to agree. I didn't realize they were still being made that late given we were already taking delivery of the Bravo by then.

I'm trying to remember what they did with the BUNO, if anything, with what we called a "Bromeo" that was floating around Mayport. It was one of the Bravos that was converted into a Romeo back when they thought that was going to be the production method. It lived it's life at Pax until it was then converted back to a Bravo (and the new Romeo production line was finally up and running).

One of our Reservists flew it at Pax (as a Bravo) and said it was a great flyer, but there were all kinds of electrical and mission system gremlins. While it sat in PMI, the Wing was trying to give it to us since we were sending several of our old Block 0s to the desert. My MMCO did an outstanding job of giving the Wing the Heisman, despite our CO wanting to take it because it was "basically brand new." Once we educated him on it's troubles up at Pax, he backed down and we eventually got a different bird.

 

[Griz882]

I didn't realize they were still being made that late given we were already taking delivery of the Bravo by then.

When I left the HTs in 1986 my navy winging group was split almost evenly between H-3’s, H-2’s and H-46. The oddballs were two guys to Bravos, one to CH-53 (specifically for assignment to the old HC-4) and the weirdest…a kid getting the UH-1!

 

[ChuckMK23]

When I left the HTs in 1986 my navy winging group was split almost evenly between H-3’s, H-2’s and H-46. The oddballs were two guys to Bravos, one to CH-53 (specifically for assignment to the old HC-4) and the weirdest…a kid getting the UH-1!

We had a dude get CH-53A at Barbers Point with VC-1. Talk about oddball

 

[hlg6016]

Just off the top of my head in the 80's I crewed on the Marine Corps oldest KC130 (147573) our F models ran 147 (2 airframes) 148, 149 and 150. During the 70s we added KC130 R models with 160s The T model came later in the decade I never had any time on those. They were reserve birds.
The F models were battle scared Nam vets with ground fire patches on the tails and their bellys.