Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight

The CH-46 Sea Knight was the standard medium sized cargo helicopter of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy from 1962 until 2015 when the last were retired. Design work on the Sea Knight began in 1960 for a U.S. Army contract. While the Army did not adopt the helicopter, it was taken up by the Navy and Marines in 1962. The CH-46 was widely used in every American combat operation from the Vietnam War to Iraq and Afghanistan providing troop and cargo transport. The CH-46 was continually upgraded and modified throughout its service life. The CH-46E was rebuilt from other versions of the helicopter with improved avionics and engines. Versions of the Sea Knight were exported to Canada, Sweden, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. Additionally many were built by Kawasaki in Japan both for the Japanese military and for export.

Diamter of Main Rotor	50 ft
Fuselage Length	44 ft 10 in.
Height	16 ft 9 in.
Weight	24,300 pounds (loaded)
Maximum Speed	166 MPH
Service Ceiling	17,000 ft
Range	633 miles
Engines	Two General Electric T58-GE-16 turboshafts with 1,870 horsepower each
Crew	5 with 24 passengers

Manufacturer
Boeing/Vertol

Markings
U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (HMM-163), Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California

Designation
CH-46E

Serial Number
156469

Service History

Built by Boeing Vertol at Morton, Pennsylvania as a CH-46F and delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps on August 12, 1969.

August 1969 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (HMM-261), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

December 1969 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

February 1971 To Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 26 (H&MS 26), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

June 1971 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264 (HMM-264), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

August 1971 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 (HMM-263), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

March 1974 To Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 26 (H&MS-26), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

May 1974 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (HMM-261), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

Circa 1979 Converted to CH-46E standard.

June 1980 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265), Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawai’i.

April 1981 To Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 301 (HMT-301), Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawai’i.

October 1985 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166 (HMM-166), Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, California.

August 1987 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 162 (HMM-162), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

March 1988 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 (HMM-263), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

June 1988 To Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, (HMLA-269), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

November 1988 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 (HMM-263), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

August 2002 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

August 2004 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (HMM-261), Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

April 2008 To Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (HMM-163), Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

September 2010 To 309^th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona for storage.

2016 Loaned to Pima Air & Space Museum for display by the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Pima Air & Space Museum

Creating unlimited horizons in aerospace education through the preservation and presentation of the history of flight.

Charity EIN: 86-6031135

Contact Info

520-574-0462

6000 E Valencia Rd, Tucson, AZ 85756

Operating Hours:
Open 9 AM – 5 PM Daily
Last Admittance at 3:00 PM

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