Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Sikorsky H-5: One Seriously Ugly Helicopter” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/sikorsky-h-5-helicopter/.
Sikorsky H-5: One Seriously Ugly Helicopter
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Alberto Alfonso
Alpha
Looks like a giant grasshopper. That said, “whirly birds” have come a long way. My years in the Marine Corps were spent on a Sikorsky CH53D. Looked good from the front and back, but the sides looked like a Winnebago with rotor blades.
Blackmesa96
Custom
Blackmesa96
Custom
Forgot about that one...
funny story with that - was at local shop and one of the guys brings it out and I'm like no. no.. just no. he tried to extol its many virtues but the gunshop customers all laughed and mocked that thing. The boss came by "go put that thing in the back". Disgusted he said - damn thing - i'll never sell it, everyone thinks its too ugly. Some customers retorted well it is. I just laughed.
Grayfox
Professional
Way back in my Army days I had a CO for a while who had been a helicopter pilot. He got shot down in Viet Nam, but was only mildly injured. But the Army said it was enough and wouldn't let him fly anymore. That's how he ended up with us. 
He told a story one time about how, when in Viet Nam, they decided that their little air field needed a heavy fork lift. Of course the Army wouldn't give them one. So he a couple other guys loaded up in one of those CH-54 Sky Cranes, buzzed over to the Air Force base, lowered a guy on a cable, hooked up real fast and made off with a 10 ton fork lift.
He told a story one time about how, when in Viet Nam, they decided that their little air field needed a heavy fork lift. Of course the Army wouldn't give them one. So he a couple other guys loaded up in one of those CH-54 Sky Cranes, buzzed over to the Air Force base, lowered a guy on a cable, hooked up real fast and made off with a 10 ton fork lift.
I'm not trying to convince anyone that they aren't ugly, but I did shoot one of the shorter barreled Rhinos once with full-power .357 Mag loads. It was a pretty soft shooter - more akin to a 38 than a magnum. Still couldn't pocket carry one like a Smith, but the tech seemed to work.