The CH/HH-3 was a long-range, amphibious transport helicopter that performed a number of duties for the Air Force for more than 30 years. However, the H-3's most prominent role was combat rescue in Southeast Asia. Developed as a US Navy antisubmarine warfare platform, the H-3 was first used to fill an Air Force requirement for a support aircraft for its Texas Tower radar sites located in the Atlantic and to recover drones in the Gulf of Mexico. These six CH-3Bs were virtually identical to the Navy's Sea Kings. The first USAF-specific version was the CH-3C, which featured a redesigned fuselage, a rear cargo ramp, and tricycle landing gear and was first flown on June 17, 1963. The first CH-3Cs were sent to Vietnam in 1965, primarily for clandestine missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The definitive Air Force version was the CH/HH-3E, which featured an uprated engine, more than 1,000 pounds of titanium armor, additional tankage, and an in-flight refueling boom. Eventually, all CH/HH-3Cs were brought up to this standard. The HH-3Es, universally known as Jolly Green Giants because of their green-and-tan camouflage schemes, were used on 496 of the 980 aircrew rescues made between 1966 and 1970 in Southeast Asia. On May 31–June 1, 1967, two Air Force crews flying HH-3Es made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic by helicopter. The 4,271-mile flight took 30 hours, 46 minutes and required nine in-flight refuelings. Lt. Col. Herbert E. Zehnder, the pilot on one of the HH-3Es on the transatlantic flight, flew that same aircraft in the raid on the Son Tay prisoner of war camp near Hanoi on November 20–21, 1970. The Jolly Greens had some limitations and were mostly replaced by the HH-53. The CH/HH-3s continued to serve in ANG and AFRES and with Air Force Special Operations Forces into the 1990s. One Reserve HH-3 unit served in Operation Desert Storm. All the HH-3s were retired by 1995.

Contractors:	Sikorsky Aircraft of United Technologies
Locations Built:	Stratford, Conn.
Number Built: (USAF)	Approx 825, incl civilian models and license production overseas (134)
First Flight:	March 11, 1959
First Flight Model:	XHSS-2
First Flight Location:	Stratford, Conn.
First Flight Pilot:	Unconfirmed
Models/Variants:	CH-3B, C, E. HH-3C, E
Powerplant:	Two General Electric T58-GE-5 turboshafts of 1,500 shp each
Rotor Diameter :	62 ft 0 in.
Fuselage Length:	57 ft 3 in.
Height:	18 ft 1 in.
Weight:	22,050 lb gross
Armament:	Up to three .50-cal. machine guns or three 7.62-mm M60 Miniguns (HH- 3C/E only)
Accommodation:	Crew of two or three (pilot, copilot, and flight engineer/loadmaster) normally, plus gunners and pararescuemen as necessary (HH-3C/E only), plus 25 troops or 15 litters or 5,000 lb of cargo
Cost:	$796,000
Max. Speed:	162 mph
Range:	465 mi on internal fuel, 779 mi with external tanks
Ceiling:	11,100 ft.