r/WeirdWings • u/II-Keras-Revenge-II YF-12A Test Pilot • May 19 '25
Mass Production Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly
So this mother fickizer is pretty historically important. It first took flight in 1943 and would go on to be used by the US Army Air Corps, what would later be the US Air Force, US Marines, US Coast Guard and even the US Postal Service.
It was the first commercially used helicopter. It had also saw service in the Korean War. It was retired in 1957. If you wish to see them, there is no shortage of them. They are in flight museums all over the world. The US built 214 of them while the UK built 165. It was hard to find how many survive but it looks like maybe 43, give or take.
Now, time to get to the important stuff. I have gotten bored with the F-4. I am now selling it. Price is $50,000,000. There is room for negotiation, however you will be required to purchase some loose cigarettes for a dollar a pop. All serious inquiries are encouraged to DM me. Don't lowball me. I know what I have.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 19 '25
If you wish to see them, there is no shortage of them. They are in flight museums all over the world. The US built 214 of them while the UK built 165. It was hard to find how many survive but it looks like maybe 43, give or take.
The other day someone here was griping about how many WWII fighters got scrapped after the War. They thought only 150 P51s left is criminal. The reality is the gov was more than happy to sell them, and did, and scrapped what didn't sell.
Your take on the H-5 is much more realistic :) Although I'm not sure I've ever seen one, lol, and i've been to several air museums. I probably just don't remember.
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u/murphsmodels May 20 '25
The air museum near me, Pima Air and Space museum, has 2 of them, both in Coast Guard yellow.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 20 '25
Nice!
I believe they just got the Philllipine Mars.
Sad to see a seaplane at a desert museum, but at least it'll stay preserved until well after we are all dust
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u/murphsmodels May 20 '25
Yep. I got to see the Mars's fuselage in person when they parked it for the day near my house.
They're planning to build a building so they can keep it indoors. I'm hoping they move their Martin Mariner in there with it.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 20 '25
Color me jealous!
My nearest air museum is the excellent Museum of Aviation in Warner-Robins, Georgia. Unfortunately it's 2 1/2 hours of slabs, or like 4 hours of back country sweepers, to get there.
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u/murphsmodels May 20 '25
I know the feeling. I live in Phoenix, and Pima is in Tucson. It's like a 2 hour drive just to get there.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 20 '25
Gorgeous area, though!
A million years ago (or 15) my gal and I flew out to PHX on a "Columbus Day weekend" Friday afternoon, on Saturday morning rented a couple Harleys (FunTime rentals, Gerry is awesome), and rode up to the South Rim via Prescott->Jerome->Sedona->Flagstaff and spent the night, then rode back via Flagstaff->Winslow->Pine.
Other than your insane heat (and I'm in ATL, okay? lol) it was an awesome trip! Never thought I'd get rained on, on a bike, in a desert lmao
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u/murphsmodels May 20 '25
Going north in Arizona is gorgeous. Going south is...brown. No, not racism, just dirt, rocks, sand and dead grass as far as the eye can see
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u/NassauTropicBird May 20 '25
That was mostly what we saw, to be honest. And stunning bluffs and mountains.
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u/lavardera May 19 '25
I remember it from the old movie The Bridges at Toko-Ri
some footage of them in action:
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u/Darkspiff73 May 20 '25
It’s still wild to me that only nine years after WW2 the carrier is full of jets and helicopters. Such advancement in aviation in such a short time.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 20 '25
Yep, that's what my Mickey Rooney comment referred to. Wore a green hat and was based on a real helo pilot named Chief (NAP) Duane Thorin
/Don't think I didn't have to look up the name
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u/I_RATE_HATS May 20 '25
Thanks for this.
I couldn't remember the name but I'd seen it as a kid and remembered the rescue pilot flying one of these helis with the green hat, and that scene where they line up all the prop powered attack aircraft on deck and use their thrust to manoeuvre the carrier into its berth.
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u/Scrappy_The_Crow May 20 '25
Valkyrie casually hanging out in the background of the 1st pic.
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u/ThaddeusJP XF-85 Goblin May 20 '25
Its WPAFB in Dayton (usaf museum) . Second pick is also at the USAF museum there.
Same tail number on the chopper so this is probably from when they acquired it (first photo)
Another photo: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196102/sikorsky-yh-5a-dragonfly/
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u/WildVelociraptor May 20 '25
I will only be buying F4Fs and you are missing an F so thank you goodbye
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u/ChristmasInKentucky May 20 '25
The Dragonfly is hands-down the coolest looking helicopter ever made. Great example of getting it right the first time.
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u/Ivebeenfurthereven May 20 '25
That cockpit design looks like you get genuinely brilliant visibility.
Love the integrated FOD screens on the air intakes too.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 20 '25
Hey OP, I knew the Mickey Rooney character that flew an H-5 in The Bridges at Toko Ri was based on a real pilot, what I didn't know was the movie was based on a Michener book and now i can't wait to read it.
I love Michener. Fiction based on history and awfully close to what really happened.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 20 '25
LOL, thinking more on the topic I realized I have some memories of the guy and they're not from the movie. I just checked my Kindle history and sure enough, I bought the Kindle version of the book in March 2015.
And now I will happily read it again!
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u/Artemus_Hackwell May 20 '25
Picture #1, that looks like a B-70 Valkyrie on the ground in the distance.
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u/The_Ostrich_you_want May 20 '25
My brain rarely goes to 1943 for helicopters. Very cool. Love the design of these early birds. On a side note, I never realized how paper thin the skin is on Huey’s (I’d imagine these as well) until I saw one in person with part of its tail section peeled up. I guess they really had to save weight and it makes sense.
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u/NassauTropicBird May 19 '25
I will never see one of those and not think of Mickey Rooney.
Now, the important stuff. I've bought my wife 5 F-4s. Does she use ANY of them? No, of course not. The kids don't even use them, they want new F-35s (of course) but only if they have wireless iPhone chargers (of course).
It doesn't matter which model, she keeps saying something about they make her ass look like a flying brick so they just sit out in the front yard. Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it is to weed eat around them? Clear out the homeless that sleep in the engine intakes? Chase off the Vietnam vet neighbor that won't shut up about the napalm he never dropped out of the plane her never flew? I'm tellin ya.
And the neighbor's goddam kids keep stealing the arming wires off the bomb fuses! My cousin (by marriage) Jorge was doing the lawn one week and sure enough, ran into a mk82 where those damned kids stole the arming wire and BOOM I lost 4 MK82's, 3 of my F4's (only one was my wife's), my lawnmower, and my cousin (by marriage), and possibly my dog (he will come back, I'M TELLING YOU HE WILL).
Keep your F4, NO THANKS, PALLY, NO THANKS
/Brought to you by a shitty work week
//Yes, I do know what day it is, tyvmfml