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#1762

Sikorsky S-61

first flew 1959· medium-lift transport / airliner helicopter

🚁 helicopter 2× turboshaft ✓ still flying
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Sikorsky S-61N Mk.II: Peng Chen· CC BY-SA 2.0
  2. 2. S-61R: SSgt. Daniel Perez, USAF· Public domain
  3. 3. Sikorsky S-61L: Ted Quackenbush· GFDL 1.2
  4. 4. British S-61N G-BFRI during exercise Joint Warrior 2014-2: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Justin L. Ailes· Public domain
  5. 5. Coulson S61 Drop: Wayne Riggs· CC BY 3.0
  6. 6. G-BDOC S-61N Coastguard (4436275694): Maarten Visser from Capelle aan den IJssel, Nederland· CC BY-SA 2.0
  7. 7. 151483 Sikorsky S61 Sea King (49544235338): kitmasterbloke· CC BY 2.0
  8. 8. 520905 S-61 Helicopter with Bucket (22762686665): U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region· Public domain
  9. 9. N45917 - Sikorsky S-61V-1 01: Tequask· CC BY-SA 4.0
  10. 10. N45917 - Sikorsky S-61V-1 02: Tequask· CC BY-SA 4.0
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Sikorsky S-61, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Peng Chen· CC BY-SA 2.0

what is it?

The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the SH-3 Sea King military helicopter. They were developed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The commercial version of the Sea King was developed during the late 1950s.

How to recognise it: 2 turboshaft engines · 18.9 m main rotor

base stats

  • speed 267 km/htop speed
  • range 833 kmwithout refuelling
  • seats 30passengers
  • size 8,618 kgmax take-off weight
  • built 796made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 67 years ago, in 1959.
  • Top speed is 2.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Rotor of 18.9 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight
1959-03-11
introduced
1961
status
still flying
number built
796
role
medium-lift transport / airliner helicopter
makers
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Mitsubishi, AgustaWestland
engines
2× General Electric CT58-140
crew
2
passengers
30
length
18 m
rotor diameter
18.9 m
height
5.3 m
max take-off weight
8,618 kg
top speed
267 km/h
cruise speed
222 km/h
range
833 km
ceiling
3,810 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family

↑ Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kingparent Sikorsky S-61R1959

Sources: Wikidata Q17163402, Wikipedia: Sikorsky S-61 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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