Corgi AA33423 Aviation Archive

Corgi Aviation Archive series AA33423 is a 1/72 scale diecast model of the Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King, designated S-61 by the company, assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2 (HS-2) Golden Falcons, US Navy and used for night Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions during the Vietnam War.

CSAR

In 1965, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2 (HS-2) made history as the first Navy helicopter squadron to perform a night Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission in North Vietnam. By 1967, the squadron had successfully carried out ten overland rescues and five coastal rescues of pilots in North Vietnam.

For these missions, their Sea King helicopters were equipped with self-sealing fuel tanks, multiple machine guns, and heavy armour, enabling them to operate effectively as armed search-and-rescue helicopters in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King

The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, designated as the S-61 by the company, is an American twin-engine helicopter primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Its first flight occurred on March 11, 1959, and it entered service with the US Navy in June 1961.

The Sea King underwent modification for various roles, including search and rescue, transport, anti-shipping operations, medical evacuation (medevac), plane guard duties, minesweeping, and airborne early warning missions.

It gained popularity in the export market among foreign military customers and civil operators. The Sea King was built under license by companies such as Agusta in Italy, Mitsubishi in Japan, United Aircraft of Canada in Canada, and Westland in the United Kingdom, where it was known as the Westland Sea King.

Production of the Sea King concluded in 1970, with over 1,300 airframes completed. In the 1990s, the US Navy began replacing its Sea Kings with the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk.