Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkSheppard
Request addition of Sikorsky R-5 (aka H-5, S-51, HO2S-1, HO3S-1) to the US OOB.
According to THE AGE OF THE HELICOPTER: VERTICAL FLIGHT; on V-J Day, 65 R-5s had been delivered to the US military, and the remainder of the contract (390 craft) was cancelled.
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I've confirmed that the R-5 would have been present in an invasion of Japan through looking at microfilm from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
In June 1945, CINCAFPAC (aka MacArthur's HQ) had communications with War Department over this.
The AAF Helicopter program (yes, they owned helicopters in WW2) estimated 1945 requirements for Army Forces, Pacific (AFPAC) were four squadrons of helicopters, organized under TO&E 1-1087 (1 dash 1 nought 87).
Plan was for two squadrons to arrive in Pacific September 1945, and two more squadrons by October 1945.
MacArthur's HQ was requesting that the October 1945 shipment be equipped with R-5's and was making sure they were understood that existing R-6As shipped out would be replaced with R-5s as they became available.
The proposed employment by Army Forces Pacific was of separate flights (8 helicopters each) operating in support of ground units, operating independently of parent unit (a helicopter squadron was to have 32 aircraft).
Army Forces Pacific said that they couldn't accurately estimate 1946 requirements, but they expected two additional helicopter squadrons, for a total of six would meet Theater requirements.
Another memo from COMGENAIR (aka AAF HQ) to COMGENFEAF (Far East Air Forces) about helicopter supply for Floating Aircraft Repair Units (they used helicopters to shuttle spare parts to and from them) said that the plan was to replace the R-6 through attrition with the R-5, but they estimated that the flow of R-5s wouldn't start until December 1945.
The R-5 has already been done by SPCAMO -- WinMBT, Green OOB, Unit 528; icon 4903, LBM 56002; it's just a matter of putting it into WW2 and setting the start date to December 1945.