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Year:
1981
Status
Retired, Out-of-Service
Crew
6
Production
41 Units
Sikorsky Aircraft - USA
United States (retired)
- Transport
- Special Forces
Length:
91.86 ft (28 m)
Width:
71.85 ft (21.9 m)
Height:
24.93 ft (7.6 m)
Empty Weight:
32,000 lb (14,515 kg)
MTOW:
46,297 lb (21,000 kg)
(Diff: +14,297lb)
(Showcased weight values pertain to the Sikorsky MH-53M (Pave Low IV) production model)
2 x General Electric T64-GE-100 turboshaft engines developing 4,330 shaft horsepower each and driving six-blade main rotor and four-bladed tail rotor.
Max Speed:
196 mph (315 kph; 170 kts)
Service Ceiling:
15,997 feet (4,876 m; 3.03 miles)
Max Range:
690 miles (1,111 km; 600 nm)
(Showcased performance values pertain to the Sikorsky MH-53M (Pave Low IV) production model; Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database)
Typical: 3 x 7.62mm M134 Miniguns OR 3 x 12.7mm Browning M2 Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) positioned one at left fuselage side, one at right fuselage side and one on the rear loading ramp. Two external side sponson hardpoints reserved for external fuel stores.
(Showcased armament details pertain to the Sikorsky MH-53M (Pave Low IV) production model)
MH-53 - Base Series Designation YHH-53H "Pave Low I" - Prototype Designation HH-53H "Pave Low II" - Night Infiltrator variant MH-53H - Redesignation of HH-53H production mark MH-53J "Pave Low III" - Special Forces variant based on HH-53B, HH-53C and HH-53H production models. MH-53M "Pave Low IV" - Improved and modernized MH-53J production mark.
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry. The rating is out of a possible 100.
26
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 200mph
Lo: 100mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (196mph).
Graph average of 150 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LDN
LDN
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MSK
MSK
TKY
TKY
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Sikorsky MH-53M (Pave Low IV) operational range when compared to distances between major cities.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
Unit Production (41)
Comm. Market HI*: 44,000 units
Military Market HI**: 36,183 units
41
41
* Commercial Market High belongs to Cessna 172.
** Military Market High belongs to Ilyushin Il-2.
Max Altitude Visualization
* Ribbons not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns/operations.