The story
Vertol flew its Model 107 tandem-rotor prototype on 22 April 1958, and the Marines and Navy took it into service as the H-46 Sea Knight in 1964. It carried Marines from Vietnam to Iraq. The Navy retired its H-46s in 2004, and the Marines said farewell in August 2015, handing the job to the MV-22 Osprey. The code also covers Kawasaki's licence-built KV-107, Canada's CH-113 Labrador and Sweden's Hkp 4, all retired from military service. Civil Model 107-IIs still lift loads and fight fires: Columbia Helicopters holds the type certificate and sold aircraft to operators in Switzerland and South Korea in 2023.
On 30 April 1975 the last helicopter to lift off the roof of the US Embassy in Saigon was a Marine CH-46 from squadron HMM-164, carrying the last Marine guards out.
Quick answers
How do you identify a CH-46 Sea Knight?
Two three-blade rotors, one over the cockpit and one on top of a raised rear pylon, on a fuselage shorter and slimmer than a Chinook's, with stubby sponsons holding the main wheels. Tandem rotors on something smaller than a Chinook means a 107.
What does a CH-46 Sea Knight sound like?
A quick, rhythmic tandem-rotor thump, lighter and faster than a Chinook's.
How fast is the CH-46 Sea Knight?
Top speed is 144 kts.
How many people does the CH-46 Sea Knight carry?
Typical configuration: 24 troops, 15 stretchers or 7,000 lb of cargo.
How far can the CH-46 Sea Knight fly?
Range is about 550 nmi with a 2,400 lb payload.
How big is the CH-46 Sea Knight?
It is 83 ft 4 in (rotors turning) long and 50 ft 0 in (each rotor) across the rotor.
When did the CH-46 Sea Knight first fly?
Its first flight was in 1958.
How many CH-46 Sea Knights have been built?
524 H-46s for the US military, plus civil and licence-built 107s built.
How rare is a CH-46 Sea Knight in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first CH-46 Sea Knight catch is worth 250 points.
