The Helio Courier Ultra C/STOL Aircraft

An Illustrated Developmental History

Frank Joseph Rowe (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

244 Seiten

2013
McFarland & Co Inc (Verlag)
978-0-7864-7719-7 (ISBN)

Artikel merken

Its maneuverability impresses pilots and laymen alike. Its design, which makes it capable of extreme controlled/short takeoff and landing (Ultra C/STOL), attracted the almost instant interest of the United States military. Developed through collaboration between Dr. Otto Koppen of MIT and Dr. Lynn Bollinger of Harvard, the Helio Courier was designed to be one of the safest, most versatile aircraft ever produced - and lived up to this claim in ways that even in some cases exceeded the designers' expectations.

This book gives the reader a comprehensive developmental history of the Helio Courier, one of the most remarkable planes in the annals of aviation. It begins by discussing the progenitors of the Helio Courier and the drive behind developing an aircraft with such unprecedented safety and flight capabilities. Then, starting with the Helio's inception in the late 1940s, this volume follows the aircraft through drawing board, prototype and post-production stages. It examines the role the plane has played in military operations in Vietnam and various covert operations since. The final chapter looks at the possible future of the aircraft. Sources for this intensively researched history include interviews from former Helio company officials, independent archival data, news articles and FAA type design specifications.

Aircraft designer and senior design engineer Frank Joseph Rowe lives in Wichita, Kansas.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Preface xi

1. Chasing the Sun 1
Helio Progenitors
2. Dawn of the “Tennis Court Airplane” 27
Early Helio Prototypes
3. Geared for Success 49
Main Production Models and Variants, 1954–1974
4. Litterbugs and Black Ops 86
Military Versions of the Helio Courier
5. Above and Beyond 106
Turbo-Charged Helios and Concept Aircraft
6. Twilight of the Courier 147
The Last Production Helio Courier Models
and Concept Aircraft, 1983–1985
7. Couriers of the Word 160
JAARS Helio Operations
8. Epilogue 171
Plans for Future Helio Production

Appendix 1: Data Specification Sheets 173
Appendix 2: Helio Aircraft Models and Production Totals 215
Notes 217
Bibliography 221
Index 225

Zusatzinfo	115 photographs, tables, diagrams
Verlagsort	Jefferson, NC
Sprache	englisch
Maße	175 x 251 mm
Gewicht	455 g
Themenwelt	Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Fotokunst
Themenwelt	Natur / Technik ► Fahrzeuge / Flugzeuge / Schiffe ► Luftfahrt / Raumfahrt
ISBN-10	0-7864-7719-9 / 0786477199
ISBN-13	978-0-7864-7719-7 / 9780786477197
Zustand	Neuware