It never ceases to amaze me the things you can find parked in some people’s yards. This find, which comes to us courtesy of Jim S, is a very unusual find to see just sitting in someone’s yard. That might actually be the understatement of the year considering it is a Sikorsky Helicopter! The seller doesn’t know much about it, more on that later, but it looks to be an H-19 to me. I’m no helicopter expert though, so please correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not sure what one would do with a helicopter shell, but if you have an idea for it, you can find it here on eBay in Tucker, Georgia with an opening bid of $4k.
This shell belonged to the late Jim West of the Georgia House of Representatives. His widow doesn’t know much about it, other than that he got it so he could maintain his license to store aircraft at his home. West was quite the aviation fan and went so far as having a landing pad installed on the Georgia Capitol building so he could fly his helicopter directly there. Obviously, it wasn’t this helicopter that he flew in, as this one hasn’t carried itself anywhere in a long while.
There doesn’t seem to be any documentation with it now, but I have a feeling that is the least of this helicopter’s concerns. It is in terrible condition inside and out, plus it is missing a considerable amount of parts. If this is an H-19, or S-55 for civilian use, it should have an engine sitting in the nose section. The massive whirling heart of this hulk has clearly gone missing and finding a replacement could be problematic. They only built about 1,700 of these and I doubt there are spare engines just sitting around at the local salvage yard.
While it might have an odd look to it, the design of the H-19 was quite brilliant. The nose section is made of two clam shell doors, that when opened gives you complete access to the engine while standing on the ground. Having the engine upfront made it easier to get heavy loads properly balanced. It’s no wonder they became workhorses for the Marines, the Coast Guard and they even came in handy during the construction of the Mid-Canadian Line.
I sadly don’t see this one ever transporting something ever again, at best it will be able to donate some parts to keeping another one up in the air. I’m not even sure there is enough left here to do that. Perhaps you could just use it as really cool yard art? Or you could turn it into the coolest playhouse ever! Imagine how excited the kids would be to have this to play in. Just make sure you’re allowed to store it in your yard before you buy it! So do any of you have experience flying helicopters like this one? I’d love to hear some stories about them!
I have a very understanding wife that tolerates my warehouse full of fun. Hauling this home may press the limits.
Do it man!! But be sure to have a hidden camera and post the video on YouTube!
Just needs a little buffing compound and the FAA would re-certify it for flight readiness.
Ran when parked??
Ran when landed.
Scrap metal is only worth $4 per 100 pounds here in NC. Good luck getting the $4k opening bid!
Now that’s patina!!
Simon & Simon….
Did you mean “Riptide”? They flew an S-58T on that show.
Hey Perry King is a cool bike and car guy! I bought an amazingly beautiful Jawa with sidecar from him!
Another classic example of being too cheap to hire someone to haul it away so why not put it on eBay?
Someone will turn that into a parade copter placed on a front wheel drive platform. I can see the pilot in the cockpit and kids down below tossing candy to the crowd. Get busy and have it ready for Labor Day!
5 minutes before I read your comment I thought the same thing but I would build a 8 foot or so set of rotors(got to be outlandish) for on top. I’ve seen so much work go into less exciting projects then this and end up being ho-hum. Great, great parade vehicle no one will forget. I’d be for hire to businesses that want to make an impact. Set up at a fair to use as a business backdrop. Above everyone else..
Two of those made the first transatlantic flight by a helicopter in 1952. It would be interesting to see what the serial number of this carcass might be, for the tour guide at the National Museum of Flight suggested that they got away before anyone was interested in putting stuff like that in a museum.
I love the outside of the box here.
Build this into a tree house.
If it were cheaper and I had a big tree in my yard, I’d put it up in the tree. I’d try to make it look like it crashed in the tree. Complete with a parachute tree swing!
Mimi ? what have they done to you ?
Don’t think the engine will be that hard to find, they’re used in lots of things. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_R-1340_Wasp
It’s all the other parts that would be tough.
Same helicopter was used by Winnebago for an RV. Winnebago made eight copter of which several are still flying as RV’s so you would make a retro RV, simple huh. Lol. Any way check Winnebagos history and it will have the full story on this type of an RV and some nice photos
I was thinking a more traditional approach…. 4X4 truck chassis!! lol
Get it running, paint it pink and resurrect a short-lived and hardly noticed TV series ala Route 66 with 2 young dudes careening around LA.
I’m thinking more of a Rat Rod…kinda has a COE truck look, and after all the Tucker automobile used a helicopter engine……. :-) Terry J
In the same vein – a Friend of mine has a Polaris missle infront
of his towing company in Willow Creek,CA.
Park it in the backyard for the kids to play on. Coolest kids in the neighborhood with this in the backyard… Homeowners assoc. might have a problem. I don’t have the Nazis where I live yet..
Does anyone know if there is rust in the floor pans? Does the tail pan have any rust? Is all the suspension in tack? Is it a roller? Can it be loaded on a transporter?
Make it the front end of a Provost and have something that kinda looks like a GM Parade of Progress Futureliner!
Oh yea… you just need vision… tube frame… big and littles… 426 hemi… be all the rage at the Friday Night Cruise-In. No joke!!
All kidding aside…..If you wanted to build a vehicle that would be in ALL the car magazines….here’s your chance. I’m more inclined to simplify the project by starting with a later model truck chassis and drive train. Plop it on there. Hmmmmm…..there must be a limit to how many u-joints you can use in an articulated steering shaft. :-) Terry J
yea why not if it can be passed.
there is a Douglas Dakota [if i remember rightly] here in Australia on a vintage Chev chassis originally I believe as a mobile home. Now I just heard being used to transport vintage music machines to shows.
I remember it for sale unrestored many years ago. If only I had the ability with something that big but now what I heard its on the road this many years later.
This Sikorsky would be a truly weird vehicle but could it be passed off now a days as a RV. The Dakota RV was built back in the days of anything goes, so can be registered due to its past rego history..our laws here would make it difficult for a new build. So how would they be in America building a Sikorsky RV from scratch now.. lovely idea though.
Something like this was done http://speedycop.com/spirit-of-lemons.html seems like a lot of fun and unexpectedly nice road behavior.
Chop it and channel it…..
Honeywell made a engine conversion to a turbo-shafted engine for replacements of those pistons.