The H-19 was the first helicopter to be procured in quantity by the Air Force. It was also the world's first helicopter to have a nose-mounted engine, which left the main cabin free for cargo, troops, or litters. A long drive shaft, running up through the elevated cockpit, turned the rotor. The H-19 entered service in 1951 and saw extensive service in the Korean War. Shortly after it entered service, Capts. Joseph D. Copper and Russell Winnegar, with some South Koreans, lowered an H-19 into a canyon 35 miles behind North Korean lines. The South Koreans fieldstripped a crashed MiG-15 and hooked the carcass on the H-19's external winch. Overloaded, the crew lifted off and, flying through heavy ground fire, returned safely to base. In April 1953, Capt. Joseph McConnell, Jr., who would go on to be the leading ace of the Korean War, was pulled out of the Yellow Sea by an SH-19B (as the dedicated rescue aircraft were designated) crew. H-19 crews were also heavily involved in Special Operations in Korea, including retrieving agents who had parachuted into North Korea. On January 15, 1953, Capt. Lawrence A. Barrett and Lt. R. F. Sullivan flew more than 100 miles behind North Korean lines to rescue a downed F-51 pilot. On July 13–31, 1952, two Air Force crews, Capts. Vincent McGovern and Harry C. Jeffers and Capt. George O. Hembrick and Lt. Harold Moore, flying two H- 19s nicknamed Hopalong and Whirl-o-Way, made the first crossing of the Atlantic by helicopter. The crews flew from Westover AFB, Mass., to Prestwick, Scotland, in five stages, covering 3,535 miles in 42 hours, 25 minutes. The H-19/S-55 series was also flown by the US Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard (as HRS and HO4S), and Army (H- 19D, which carried the official nickname of Chickasaw), as well as 35 other nations. License production took place in Britain, France, and Japan. The H-19s were redesignated UH/HH-19 in 1962 when the Department of Defense standardized the designation system. The last Air Force UH-19s were taken out of service in 1964.

Contractors:	Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corp.
Locations Built:	Bridgeport, Conn.
Number Built: (USAF)	Approx 1,600, incl civilian models and licensed production overseas (334)
First Flight:	November 10, 1949
First Flight Model:	S-55
First Flight Location:	Bridgeport, Conn.
First Flight Pilot:	Unconfirmed
Models/Variants:	H-19A, B (later redesignated UH-19A, B). SH-19B (later redesignated HH-19B)
Powerplant:	One Wright R-1300-3 Cyclone seven-cylinder radial of 700 hp
Rotor Diameter :	53 ft 0 in.
Fuselage Length:	42 ft 3 in.
Height:	13 ft 4 in.
Weight:	7,200 lb gross
Armament:	None
Accommodation:	Crew of two (pilot and copilot, side by side) and 10 passengers or six litters
Cost:	$150,000
Max. Speed:	112 mph
Range:	360 mi.
Ceiling:	15,000 ft.