The H-43 base rescue helicopter could carry a fire suppression kit to put out aircraft crash fires. Foam in combination with the rotor downwash should open a path for rescuers to reach victims. 58-1830 was delivered to James Connally AFB near Waco, Texas. Photo by: Joe Scherschel / Life

58-5524 served as the prototype H-43A. It was a former US Marine Corps HOK-1, BuNo 129839, which had an accident at Camp Pendleton on 19 September 1956 and was rebuilt by Kaman with the new four-fin tail. Registered as N298B it was first seen in April 1958. By June 1958 it was marked as 58-5524. The 18 production H-43As had lower serial numbers. 58-5524 was used for various tests at Bloomfield until it was retired in early 1963. Information from Johan Ragay's H-43 website. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

The H-43A was the first USAF version of Kaman's K-600, still powered by an R-1340 Wasp piston engine as you can see. It was already a base rescue helicopter just like the later, turbine-engined H-43s. Preceded by 58-5524, this airframe, 58-1823, was the first production H-43A, first flying on 19 September 1958. With Navy HUK-1 BuNo 146317 hovering behind, this photo must have been taken around that time. Photo by: Robert Kelley / Life