EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CA — The Air Force Flight Test Museum parted with a Sikorsky VH-34 helicopter Sept. 13. The aircraft, which has been in the boneyard for nearly 20 years, is being moved to the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin, Texas. “The helicopter was originally built as a VH which means it’s for VIP’s and it’s commonly referred to as a white top,” said George Welsh, 412th Test Wing, museum curator.
The helicopter was once operated by the Texas Army National Guard and used to support President Lyndon Johnson while he was at his ranch and home outside Johnston City, Texas, during the 1960s and into the early 70s.
The helicopter originally came to Edwards AFB from Davis Monthan AFB, Ariz., to ensure that it would not be discarded because of the high cost of storage at the time. After sitting outside for so long, the aesthetic condition is very poor, but the original instruments, controls, and even the VIP seats are all there.
“Usually an aircraft like this would have been stripped,” said Welsh. “But she’s all there, the gears, the instruments, the blades and windows.”
The big challenge was moving the helicopter. The length of the aircraft with the tail folded is 38 feet and it sat on a 30-foot pallet for its entire stay at Edwards. The helicopter itself only has two tie downs making it difficult to secure. Instead, the team had to secure the helicopter to the pallet and the pallet to the truck. Unfortunately, the years of wear on the wooden boards raised concerns about its structural integrity.
The entire load was carefully lifted by two wrecking cranes and placed on a lowboy truck without any problems. The transmission, rotor head and landing gear were all transported in separate boxes. The crate that carried the transmission and rotor head weighed approximately 1000 lbs.
The whole endeavor took support from museum volunteers, 412th Security Forces Squadron and the Vehicle Operations Section of the 412th Mission Support Group.
Air Force Flight Test Museum moves helicopter to Texas