Today in WW II: 9 Feb 1941 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill appeals for arms shipments from the US: "Give us the tools, and we will finish the job". More ↓

9 Feb 1943 Allied forces capture Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
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Sikorsky HH-52 Sea Guard Helicopter

The Coast Guard acquired 99 of the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guard helicopters, beginning in July 1962, and retired the last one in service 12 September 1989, replaced by the HH-65A Dolphin. During its long service, the HH-52A Sea Guard was the Coast Guard’s primary short-range, search and rescue helicopter.

The HH-52A was the military version of the Sikorsky Model S-62, the first turbine-powered helicopter to be certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency. The HH-52A had a watertight boat-hull fuselage making it capable of water landings and takeoffs, a key factor for the Coast Guard in selecting the aircraft.

HH-52 Sea Guard Specifications and Performance

Rotor diameter	53 ft.
Length	44 ft. 7 in.
Height	14 ft. 2 in.
Width	15 ft.
Weight	8,100 lb. max
Armament	None
Engine	1,050 shp GE T58-GE-6 turboshaft
Maximum speed	120 mph
Cruising speed	92 mph
Range	350 mi.
Service ceiling	15,700 ft.

Personnel tie down the blades of a Coast Guard HH-52 Sea Guard helicopter, as protection from high winds at an Argentine station, 1 April 1983. Under a 1959 Antarctic Treaty, the U.S. is providing transportation to scientists from this station.

A Coast Guard Grumman HU-16E Albatross (left) and a Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard in March, 1964, probably at Air Station Mobile. For over 30 years, these amphibious aircraft were the workhorses of the Coast Guard's air fleet.

HH-52A Sea Guard lands on board the USCGC Westwind during flight operations in Gravesend Bay, NY, 6 March 1964.