SIKORSKY CH-37B MOJAVE

In 1951 the U.S. Marines issued a requirement for a new heavy assault helicopter. Sikorsky's offering was its first twin-engine helicopter, designated HR2S-1 by the Navy and H-37 by the Army. The Mojave was a radical design for its time, it had fully retractable main landing gear, and a front opening clamshell door, and the engines were located in large pods on each side of the main fuselage to the large five-blade rotor. This rotor was specially designed to allow the helicopter to continue flying if one of the blades was shot off. The Mojave began testing with both the Army and Marines in 1953. Deliveries to both services began in 1956 and production continued until 1960. Mojave's served as heavy-lift transports until the early 1970s.