The CH-37 answered a Marine Corps heavy assault helicopter requirement in the early 1950s.
The CH-37 Mojave began with a 1951 U.S. Marine Corps requirement for a heavy assault helicopter. Sikorsky proposed its first twin-engine helicopter, designated HR2S by the Navy and H-37 by the Army. Testing began in 1953, and deliveries followed in 1956, placing the Mojave among the most ambitious piston-powered helicopters of its era.
Side-mounted engines and a front cargo door gave the Mojave an unusual but practical layout.
The Mojave put two Pratt & Whitney radial engines in large side pods, freeing the nose for a front-opening clamshell cargo door. It also used retractable main landing gear and a large five-blade rotor, with enough cabin volume for troops or heavy cargo. The design shows the last stage of large piston helicopter development just before turboshaft power transformed heavy-lift aviation.
Army and Marine Mojaves served as heavy transports into the early 1970s.
The CH-37 served the U.S. Army and Marine Corps as a heavy-lift transport, including overseas deployments and aircraft-recovery work. Its size and lift capacity were valuable, but the maintenance and performance limits of piston engines made it vulnerable to replacement by newer turboshaft helicopters. The Mojave is historically important as a stepping stone toward later Sikorsky heavy-lift designs.
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