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Military Helicopters
SIKORSKY CH-53A SEA STALLION
 The predecessor of America's largest helicopters today, the CH-53A was first flown in October 1964 and entered service in 1966. With 16,000 lbs. of cargo capacity, this large, all-weather capable helicopter could carry two jeeps, a 105-mm howitzer, or 38 fully equipped combat troops, giving the Marines valuable mobility in Vietnam. The CH-53A has also demonstrated the impressive ability to perform loops and barrel rolls, and in April 1968, a Marine Corps CH-53A made the first automatic terrain clearance flight in helicopter history. For shipboard stowage, the Sea Stallion's rotor blades and tail pylon fold hydraulically.
 The helicopter on display was the third CM-53A to roll off the production line. Entering service with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 in 1968, it was transferred to the Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, Pennsylvania, in 1971. It served as a development aircraft, pioneering advanced technologies. Some of these technologies include Forward Looking Infrared Radar and the Helicopter Night Vision System, both of which gained public attention for their role in Desert Storm. After being involved in research until the Gulf War, this helicopter was retired to the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
BELL TH-1L IROQUOIS (HUEY)
 The Bell TH-1L is just one of over a dozen versions of the most famous helicopters in history - the Huey. Although officially titled the Iroquois, the Huey derives its popular nickname from its original designation of MU-1. First flown in October 1956, more Hueys have been produced than any other helicopter, with over 14,000 deliveries. The military's workhorse, the Huey is an all-purpose aircraft performing such diverse roles as troop and cargo transport, Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC), trainer, scout, gunship and search and rescue.
 The particular aircraft displayed spent its entire flying life as a trainer at Pensacola, Florida, preparing Naval Aviators for helicopter careers. From 1970 to 1983, it amassed 6915.3 flight hours before transfer to the former Naval Air test Center, Patuxent River, and Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Directorate, for use in stationary vibration testing. The Naval Air Test Center was the predecessor to the Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division.
Its transfer marked the first time the Navy allowed Rotary Wing to conduct damaging tests on a completely mission-capable helicopter. This test, in which faults were seeded in the bearings and gears, sought to develop a new diagnostic method of troubleshooting. This new method would correlate known faults with specific vibration signatures so a problem could be diagnosed without the disassembly of a gearbox. This aircraft exhibit is maintained by personnel of the Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Squadron at the Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division.
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The COBRA series attack helicopter was a development of the UH-1B/C IROQUOIS helicopter, combining its basic transmission, rotor system, and engine with a new streamlined fuselage designed for maximum speed, armament load, and crew efficiency. The first flight of the prototype single engine attack version, the Bell Model 209 HUEY COBRA, was flown on 7 September 1965. After further studies, testing, and evaluation, contracts for two production U. S. Military versions were announced, a single engine AH-1G HUEY COBRA for the United States Army (USA) and a two engine AH-1J SEA COBRA for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Fleet deliveries of the AH-lG HUEY COBRA started in mid-1969 for both the USMC and USA. The USMC had acquired 38 of the AH-lG's for transition training and initial deployment, pending the Fleet delivery of their AH-lJ's that started in mid-1970. By 1975, a total of 69 SEA COBRAS were in the USMC inventory. Variants of the COBRA series for both the USMC and USA have continued over the years with improved reliability, capability, survivability, and performance. The USMC fleet deliveries of the AH- 1T IMPROVED COBRA started in 1977 and the AH-lW SUPER COBRA in 1986. Testing, evaluations, demonstrations, and investigations of Fleet problems on all USMC series COBRAS and updates have been ongoing here at Patuxent River since 1965.