Hi Woodsy
You recently featured a stamp from Manama, featuring Apollo 16. The stamp says Manama – Dependency of Ajman, with Ajman being the smallest of the United Arab Emirates.
The Astronauts are coming down a short flight of steps, from what I think is a Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King anti-submarine helicopter. These were used extensively for astronaut recovery work, following various space flights.
The curiously shaped object on the right looks like the undercarriage sponson/float mounted on each side of the Sea King. The green rectangle just below the Apollo 16 title could be the sliding cabin door, with a window in the centre.
Here is a box top from the Airfix Sea King kit, which shows the recovery of Apollo 11 by helicopters from the USS Hornet (a modified version of an existing box top, which had shown aircraft from the USS Essex picking up the Apollo 7 Astronauts). This clearly shows the sponson, and partly open cabin door.
A sponson is a projection from the side of a ship, aircraft, or tank. Frequently a mounting for a gun; or in the case of flying boats and amphibious aircraft, to increase stability.
The side sponsons on the Sea King provided stability when landing on water, and housed the main undercarriage units.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
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