Skip over navigation

Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador

The Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador in action The Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador

This aircraft is a twin-engine, tandem-rotor search and rescue (SAR) helicopter used by the Canadian Forces from 1963 until 2004. It was a variant of the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight designed and built in the United States. A search and rescue version was purchased by the Royal Canadian Air Force in the early 1960s and became known as the Labrador. Soon after, the Canadian Army acquired a troop and cargo version known as the Voyageur. In the mid-1970s, these army machines were replaced by CH-147 Chinook heavy lift and transport helicopters and the Voyageurs were transferred to the air force when Air Command was formed in 1975. They joined the Labradors on search and rescue duties and all were modified to a common search and rescue standard.

Modifications included updated instrumentation, weather radar, an auxiliary power unit in the tail section, a high-speed rescue hoist mounted over the side door and searchlights on the front of the aircraft. This resulted in one of the world’s finest dedicated search and rescue helicopters. Carried on board were a belt, net and litter for the rescue hoist and emergency medical equipment. People could be recovered from any type of terrain and it became the work-horse of Canada’s search and rescue efforts. The Labrador’s watertight hull made landing on water possible and it also incorporated a 5,000 kilogram cargo hook installed in a cargo hatch in the floor and a handy rear ramp. Two large fuel tanks mounted on the sides of the aircraft allowed a flying range of 1100 kilometres.

A typical search and rescue crew consisted of two pilots, a flight engineer and two SAR technicians. The Labrador could also carry up to 18 passengers or 12 litters. Prior to their retirement from the Canadian Forces in 2004, Labradors flew more than 20,000 missions and logged nearly 190,000 hours of flying time over 40 years of faithful service and countless rescues, many in near-impossible conditions. One of the most memorable missions occurred in 1980, when the cruise ship M/V Prinsendam caught fire off the coast of Alaska. Labradors belonging to the Canadian Forces assisted the American Coast Guard in the rescue of the ship’s passengers in what was the largest single marine rescue in history.

Museum Example

Labrador #301, the first to enter service with the Canadian Forces and the last to retire, was delivered to the Canada Aviation Museum in July, 2004 and marked the retirement from active service of the illustrious Labrador fleet. Its place in Canada’s national aeronautical collection is a tribute to the men and women of the Search and Rescue community who risk their lives on a daily basis to save others.

Specifications

Rotor diameter:
15.2 m (50 ft)
Length (rotors turning):
25.4 m (83 ft 4 in)
Height:
5.1 m (16 ft 8 in)
Weight, Empty:
5,104 kg (11,251 lb)
Weight, Gross:
9,706 kg (21,400 lb)
Cruising Speed:
253 km/h (157 mph)
Max Speed:
270 km/h (168 mph)
Rate of Climb:
465 m (1,525 ft) /min
Service Ceiling:
4,265 m (14,000 ft)
Range:
1,100 km ( 684 mi)
Power Plant:
Two T-58-GE-8F, 1,500 shaft hp turbines

Additional Photographs

The Canada Aviation Museum’s Image Bank contains additional photographs of this aircraft. Images are provided for non-commercial study or research purposes only and may not be reproduced or published without the prior consent of the Canada Aviation Museum.

Find out more about our Image bank here.