HH-43 crew practicing Local Base Rescue/Firefighting. Downwash air from the rotors opened a path for rescuers to spray foam from the red and white fire suppression kit in the lower right. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Written by Todd DePastino
One of the best things about working for the Veterans Breakfast Club is that I learn new things at every event and with every veteran I meet.
Yesterday at our breakfast in McCandless, PA, I met US Air Force Vietnam veteran Joe Leech who, among other things, flew Search and Rescue as a pilot of the Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopter. I guess I had heard of the model before, but Joe was the first to intrigue me with a description of it. I came home, read some articles, watched some videos, and marveled at the ingenuity and unusual profile of this machine.
Developed and produced by Kaman Aircraft, the HH-43 Huskie is most distinctive for its use of twin intermeshing rotors, which Joe mentioned, but I needed a video or image to picture.
One of the two Kaman XHOK-1 prototypes, the first of which flew on 21 April 1953. It was redesignated H-43 in 1962 (US Navy)
Born in 1953 and put into service six years later, the Huskie was crafted as an answer to the discovery that most service members killed in aircraft crashes died not from impact, but from fire. It flew with an airborne fire suppression kit hanging below, which contained 700 gallons of firefighting foam. Designed for use close to air bases, the craft was extensively deployed during the Vietnam War. It was used as a search and rescue platform, having often been enhanced with makeshift modifications and new apparatus to better suit the tropical conditions.
The HH-43 Huskie became part of several detachments of the Pacific Air Rescue Center which were sent to Southeast Asia. Personnel came to commonly refer to the aircraft by its call sign “Pedro.” Early on, the rotorcraft’s limited range and lack of weaponry and armor proved to be a hindrance to operations; some crews resorted to an improvised additional fuel tank housed within the aft compartment, increasing fuel capacity by roughly 75 percent. They also added a .50-caliber machine gun and titanium plating. A Huskie performed the first combat medevac in March 1965, for an airman downed in the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone during Operation Rolling Thunder. At the time, the Huskies were the only rescue helicopters in service.
During the Vietnam War, the HH-43 flew more rescue missions than all other rotorcraft combined, largely due to its unique hovering capability. Between 1966 and 1970, the Huskie performed a total of 888 combat rescues, comprising 343 aircrew rescues and 545 non-aircrew rescues. The type was also occasionally used as a firefighting vehicle in the theater as well.
U.S. Air Force HH-43 Huskie at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam (US Air Force)
The Huskie would eventually be replaced by the more famous Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant. However, the HH-43 did continue to serve in Southeast Asia until 1975, making it both the first and last rescue helicopter serving in that theater.
Thank you, Joe, for sharing your story with us!
