Lexington Park in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite
A Swiss Army Knife with Rotors Originally designed as a single-engine utility helicopter, the Seasprite quickly became a twin-engine aircraft with multiple versions and missions. The HH-2C, with armor and guns was used for combat search and rescue in Vietnam. The SH-2D and SH-2F, with an array of sensors and weapons, were the first anti-submarine/anti-surface warfare 2G, with more powerful engines and new avionics and weapons, expanded on its predecessors' capabilities. The Navy's SH-2s were retired in 2001.
Our Display Aircraft SH-2 Bureau Number 161642 was manufactured as an SH-2F. It was accepted by the Navy in November 1983. It flew with the Naval Air Test Center's (NATC) Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Directorate from March to October 1984. Our SH-2 was then transferred to HSL-32 squadron, where it flew until October 1991. At that time, it returned to Kaman for conversion to the SH-2G variant. After the conversion was completed in September 1993, it returned to NATC's Rotary Wing testers to perform flight envelope expansion and system development. As of its final flight in September 1997, our SH-2 had logged 5413.6 flight hrs and 10,884 landings. It was transferred to PRNAM in July 1998.
Primary Mission: Anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare
Crew: Pilot, Copilot/Tactical Coordinator, and Sensor Operator
U.S. Service Timeline (SH-2 Series): 1962 - 2001
Dimensions: 40.5 ft fuselage length, 45.0 ft rotor diameter
Max. Gross Weight: 13,500 lb
Propulsion: Two General Electric T700-GE-401C Turboshaft Engines Max. Operating Speed: 173 MPH (sea level)
Payload/Armament: Torpedoes; sonobuoys; air-surface missiles; door-mounted machine guns
Erected by Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military • War, Vietnam. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1998.
Location. 38° 16.562′ N, 76° 27.67′ W. Marker is in Lexington Park, Maryland, in St. Mary's County. It can be reached from Three Notch Road (Maryland Route 235) just north of Buse Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 22156 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park MD 20653, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight (a few steps from this marker); Bell TH-1L Iroquois (a few steps from this marker); Lockheed S-3B Viking
Another marker is no longer nearby. Sikorsky CH-53A Sea Stallion (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2019. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 369 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

