This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on CH-113 Labrador is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| CH-113 Labrador | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| CH-113 Labrador 11301 in the Canada Aviation Museum | |
| Role | Medium helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Vertol Aircraft Boeing Vertol |
| First flight | August 1962 |
| Introduced | 1964 |
| Retired | 2004 |
| Primary users | Canadian Forces Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Army |
| Produced | 1962-1971 |
| Unit cost | CH113 Labrador $948,000 CH113A Voyageur $1,020,000 (1963)1 |
| Developed from | CH-46 Sea Knight |
The Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador was the Canadian version of the US CH-46 Sea Knight. It was a twin-engine, twin-rotor, helicopter used in search and rescue operations from 1963 until 2004.213
Contents |
Design and development
The Royal Canadian Air Force procured six CH-113 Labrador for the SAR role and the Canadian Army acquired 12 of the similar CH-113A Voyageur for the medium-lift transport role. The RCAF Labrador's were delivered first with the first one entering service on 11 October 1963.21345
At the time of the Canadian Forces acquisition of the CH-147 Chinook in the mid-1970s, the the existing Army Voyageur fleet was converted to Labrador specifications for use in the SAR role. The refurbished Voyageurs were then designated as CH-113A Labradors. This resulted in a total of 15 Labradors in service.134
The Labrador was fitted with a watertight hull for marine landings, a 5,000 kilogram cargo hook and an external rescue hoist mounted over the right front door. It featured an 1,110 kilometer flying range, emergency medical equipment and an 18 person passenger capacity. By the 1990s the heavy use and hostile weather conditions of air-marine rescue were taking their toll on the Labrador fleet, resulting in increased maintenance costs and a replacement was required.13
SAR-CUP
In 1981 the fleet commenced a mid-life upgrade carried out by Boeing Canada in Arnprior, Ontario. The refit scheme was known as the SAR-CUP (Search and Rescue Capability Upgrade Program) and included new instrumentation, a nose-mounted weather radar, tail-mounted auxiliary power unit, an improved high-speed rescue hoist mounted over the side door and front-mounted searchlights. A total of six CH-113s and five CH-113As were upgraded with the last delivered in 1984.35
Replacement
In 1992 it was announced that the Labradors were to be replaced by a version of the AgustaWestland EH101 to be called the "CH-149 Chimo", with 15 on order. This was subsequently cancelled by Jean Chretien Liberal government in 1993, resulting in cancellation penalties, as well as the prospect of another decade of service for the Labrador fleet.
In 1998 a CH-113 from CFB Greenwood crashed on Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula while returning from a SAR mission, resulting in the deaths of all crewmembers onboard. It was very evident that the fleet required replacing, therefore the same government, under extraordinary political pressure, returned to the EH101 manufacturers and placed an order for 15 aircraft to be called the CH-149 Cormorant.
Delivery of the new aircraft began in 2003 and the last CH-113 was retired in 2004.13
In October 2005 Columbia Helicopters of Portland, Oregon purchased eight of the retired CH-113 Labradors. This added to their complement of 15 Vertol 107-II Helicopters.6
Variants
- CH-113 Labrador
- Search and Rescue version for the RCAF. 6 built.5
- CH-113A Voyageur
- Assault and utility transport version for the Canadian Army. 12 built.5
Operators
Specifications (CH-113)
Data from RCAF.com1 and Canada Aviation Museum3
General characteristics
- Crew: 5 (2 pilots, 1 flight engineer, 2 SAR Techs)
- Capacity: 26 passengers
- Length: 84 ft 4 in (25.70 m)
- Rotor diameter: 52 ft (15.54 m)
- Height: 16 ft 8.5 in (5.1 m)
- Disc area: 4,245 ft² (379 m²)
- Empty weight: 11,251 lb (5,104 kg)
- Loaded weight: 21,400 lb (9,706 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× General Electric T-58-GE-85 turboshaft, 1,350 shp (1,013 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 170 mph (148 knots; 274 km/h)
- Ferry range: 690 mi (599 nm, 1,110 km)
- Service ceiling 10,600 ft (3,180 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,525 fpm (7.75 m/s)
- Disc loading: 4.4 lb/ft² (22 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 6.92 hp/lb (0.24 Kw/kg)
Armament
- Guns: none
See also
Related development
Related lists
References
- ^ a b c d e f g AEROWARE / RCAF.com (undated). "Boeing CH-113A Labrador". Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
- ^ a b Milberry, Larry: Sixty Years - The RCAF and Air Command 1924-1984, page 472. McGraw Hill Ryerson, 1984. ISBN 0-07-549484-1
- ^ a b c d e f g Canada Aviation Museum (undated). "Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador". Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
- ^ a b Walker, R. W. R. (2006). "Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers Canadian Armed Forces CH-113 Labrador & Voyageur detailed list". Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
- ^ a b c d Aviastar (undated). "Boeing-Vertol Model 107 / CH-46". Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
- ^ "Columbia Helicopters Acquires eight CH-113 Labrador helicopters from Canadian military". RotorHub. RotorHub.com.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: CH-46 Sea Knight |
- Columbia Helicopters - Largest Civilian Operator of BV/KV Model 107
- Detail List of CH-113 Labradors & Voyageurs
- Boeing Vertol 107, H-46 Sea Knight & CH-113 Labrador on Airliners.net
- Photo Gallery of Lab Retirement at CFB Trenton
|
||||||||
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 1 December 2008, at 23:59.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "CH-113 Labrador".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.