This information provided by Sid Nanson which he received from a friend that worked the Sikorsky H-19/H-34 line.

1.THE ORIGINAL H-19 HAD THE STRAIGHT TAIL CONE.

2.DUE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRIKING THE STRAIGHT CONE DURING HIGH FLARE AND HARD LANDING,SIKORSKY CREATED THE "DROOP" CONE.

3.THE STRAIGHT CONE HAD THE INVERTED "V" STABILIZER.

4.THE DROOP CONE HAD THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS.

COMMENT:IT'S HARD TO PICK A MODEL DUE TO MOD KITS THAT WERE INSTALLED.BUT YOU ARE BASICALLY RIGHT THE H-19A AND THE H-19C WERE BUILT WITH THE STRAIGHT TAIL CONE AND THE H-19B&D MODEL WERE BUILT WITH THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.

NOTE:I NEVER PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN A H-19 STRAIGHT CONE WITHOUT ANY STABILIZER,BUT YOUR PHOTOS PROVES OTHERWISE.

51-3856 Thule

51-3871

51-3881

In response to your inquiry relative to the horizontal stabilizer configuration on the Air force H-19s, the following data is forwarded. The stabiizer and tailcone configurations evolved over the 1949 to 1955 years as follows:

1949    straight tailcone    no stabilizer               no fin under tailcone

1950    straight tailcone    horizontal stabilizer    fin under tailcone

1955    droop tailcone      anhedral stabilizer      fin under tailcone

Aircraft were modified and may have been reconfigured at maintenance and repair facilities after production delivery.

Lee Jacobson

Archivist

Igor Sikorsky Historical Archives

We are sure pleased to hear that your small group of "old Air Force helicopter mechanics" are still interested in the H-19. Sounds like the past memories are keeping you all young at heart. Here is some additional data that may clear up some of their questions.

Your reference to 51 and 49 models does not identify the year of manufacturing the aircraft. The dates are fiscal year contract dates and do not define the actual delivered configuration. Manufacturing records or detail specifications usually define the actual configurations. My recollection, as of '53 when I joined Sikorsky, was that configurations varied on the production line depending on the build cycle and specifications.

During this period changes were being implemented as they were released, and they may have been incorporated in the field as retrofit. Overhaul and repair facilities could modify or retrofit changes as required. The decision would be up to the authority at the time. The '50s time period was an era of continuous development in the helicopter industry, and product improvement changes were continually being developed and released. Some aircraft were updated and some were not depending on operational requirements. I remember a General being quoted that the helicopter industry was experiencing "over developmentitis".

This is the main reason why  trying to place a specific aircraft configuration relative to time in the operational environment may be difficult. Hope this answers you questions.

Lee Jacobson

Archivist

Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives

If anyone can provide information as to why these aircraft have no horizontal stabilizer please email  rotorheadsrus@yahoo.com

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