Welcome, 1426
The U.S. Coast Guard has donated a pre-owned Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard helicopter that is set to be added to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Museum’s first Coast Guard helicopter, the Seaguard, #1426, is scheduled go on display at the museum on April 14th, 2016, to coincide with Coast Guard aviation’s 100th anniversary.
1426 was recovered from the North Valley Occupational Center’s aviation facility in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles. She had been there since 1989, being used as a static trainer for helicopter mechanics, meaning everything on her was loose or had been taken apart at least 100 times.
#1426 as put out to pasture. She had seen better days. Note the 1980s “SAR Orange” paint scheme and “Pinocchio” radar dome
Going for a ride by CH-47
Their was a search for parts to make 1426 whole again.
Per USCG: “This was a location in Cochise, Arizona, where nine HH-52s were privately owned. The owner planned to convert the 52s to fight fires, but ran into issue making the conversion impractical. The Coast Guard Aviation Association worked with the owner to acquire parts for the restoration of the 1426”
The Museum’s first Coast Guard helicopter, 1426, as restored. Note that she was restored to her more commonly used 1970s high-viz pattern colors, with no radar proboscis. Image by John Siemens, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Image Number: WEB15436-2016
Used for years by Air Station Houston, #1426 in 1979 rescued 22 survivors from the burning tanker Burmah Agate and freighter Mimosa after the two vessels collided near Galveston, Texas.
Basically a scaled down SH-3 Sea King without the ordnance capability, the HH-52 was used extensively by the Coast Guard for SAR and LE duties throughout the 1960s and 70s, being replaced by the HH-65 Dolphin in the 1980s.
There are some two dozen remaining on display, but this is the first one in the Smithsonian.