CH-46 Question

[Uncle Dick]

What is bulge on the fuselage along the bottom between the first and second round window from the front?

 

Fuel tank, baggage compartment / pod, float bag??????????????

 

Have seen many images of CH-46 helicopters some with and some without typically they have them on both sides of fuselage when fitted.

 

[alhenderson]

Flotation device, I reckon.  I *think* they are what is described in this document: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA326082.pdf.  Although there aren't any pictures of installations on actual helicopters..  Looks like they might have been introduced in the 80s, hence some pictures with and some without..

 

Al.

[72modeler]

@Uncle Dick,

 

@alhenderson is correct! Probably more than you ever wanted to know about the devices, but the link below has the history of the devices, as well as their configuration and how they are deployed. There was a two and four float arrangement. Hope this helps.

Mike

[Junchan]

The HEFS was retrofitted in late 1980s, but it was removed probably from 2000s by some reason.

GO! NAVY BBSII has a lot of photos of the CH-46 with the HEFS.

http://www.gonavy.jp/bbs1/img/7895.jpg

http://www.gonavy.jp/bbs1/img/7877.jpg

http://www.gonavy.jp/bbs1/img/7965.jpg

http://www.gonavy.jp/bbs1/img/8032.jpg

 

http://www.gonavy.jp/bbs1/index.cgi?page:465=v

 

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

[Uncle Dick]

Thank you for your replies, that pdf link was most interesting reading.

 

Thank you also for the photo links to go navy.jp that is a wealth of reference material !