CH-46D Sea Knight

The tandem-rotor CH-46 entered service during the Vietnam War and operated until Marine Corps squadrons retired it in 2015.  Nicknamed the “Phrog” by Marines, the CH-46 has been likened to a flying bus with its ability to deliver troops to landing zones and evacuate wounded personnel.  One of the original design parameters of the Sea Knight was the capability to hoist 10,000 pounds externally, which made it ideal for the role of vertical replenishment transferring cargo between supply ships and warships at sea.   The helicopter on display spent many hours performing this mission in distant ocean waters, its final flight with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 6 ending with a landing at the museum in 2003.