"Calm Before the Storm"
| This painting depicts the view from the rear of a Marine Sea Stallion on a flight from Kunduz/Taloqan/Khanabad to the city of Feyzabad in NE Afghanistan. A peaceful moment just before missile lock flares were activated during that leg of the trip. The Sikorsky S-65 is a heavy transport helicopter originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps who designated it the CH-53 Sea Stallion. It is designed for both ship and land purposes, e.g. transportation of equipment, supplies and personnel during the assault phase of an amphibious operation and subsequent operations ashore. Capable of both internal and external transport of supplies, the Stallion can move passengers and equipment over rugged terrain in bad weather during the day and at night. Combined with it’s ability to perform loops and barrel rolls this is a truly impressive machine. For shipboard stowage, the rotor blades and tail pylon fold hydraulically. |