MODEL 269A: COURTESY JON HUFF; MODELS 300C AND 300CBI: MARK BENNETT; MODEL TH-55: US ARMY PHOTO
The iconic Hughes Helicopters “jaws” logo.
American customers as well as non-US armed forces.
While overall demand has been increasing,
it’s not to the level Horton expected just yet, he says. “I think people are being cautious, waiting to see if we’ll be here to support their aircraft. I believe as we build more helicopters and begin selling refurbished aircraft, confi- dence will build that Schweizer is here to stay, and people will commit.” Some former customers, like the University
of North Dakota, were forced to consider other options due to their aging fleet’s cost of operation and downtime caused by parts shortages. Alternatively, some customers have remained with the S300, and that has helped Schweizer RSG move forward. “I think the Schweizer is the best training
helicopter in the world, full stop,” says Bob Caldwell, CEO and co-founder of IDAG. “I’ve known Dave Horton for 30 years, and I’ve full faith and confidence in him, the product, and the company. We were having issues with parts, but Dave was honest and up front. He told us that was his priority, and he certainly made good on that promise. Tere were bumps along the way, and he was always forthright about them. It might not have been what I wanted to hear, but I deeply respect that he was always open. In the end, we have our parts and can keep our fleet flying now. We’re looking forward to working with him and the company to begin taking delivery of our order.”
Next Steps With the Schweizer production line now up and running, the next step in the process is modernization. “Our goal is to make airframe modifications
to move away from analog instrumentation and into digital,” Horton says. “Digital systems are lighter, more reliable, less expensive to manufacture, easier to consolidate between aircraft, and less time- and cost-intensive to maintain. Our goal is that helicopters delivered in 2022 and 2023 will be digital.” Updates will include a new flat-panel display
with digital instruments that provide informa- tion on aircraft and engine performance. Schweizer RSG will also identify and certify digital options for communications and
What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been
The string of helicopter designs now owned by a company in Texas, a company run by longtime helicopter folks, began its journey 65 years
ago at a company in California headed by Howard Hughes, a man who knew quite a bit about airplanes but almost nothing about helicopters.
Here are some other factoids about a family of rugged helicopters that has seen many changes in ownership while remaining true to its heritage.
In October 1956, the Model 269—the piston-engine helicopter that started it all—made its first flight. It would become the first production Hughes helicopter.
•••
Over the next several decades, Hughes marketed and supported variations of the Model 269A and Model 269B before adopting the Model 300 designation for its commercial line.
•••
In 1963, the FAA certificated the Model 300. Shortly thereafter, in 1964, that aircraft, designated the TH-55A Osage, was selected as the US Army’s primary rotorcraft trainer, a position it held until the late 1980s.
•••
The Osage logged more than 3.5 million flight hours while training more than 60,000 US Army pilots.
•••
The Model 300C, certificated in May 1970, and its newer variants remain among the world’s most popular small utility helicopters, with many pilots around the world receiving their initial training in them.
•••
Those variants eventually included the piston-powered 300C, 300CB, and 300CBi, and the 330, 333, and 434 turbines.
•••
In 2018, after stops at Schweizer Aircraft and Sikorsky, this iconic product line found a new, dedicated home.
Model 300C
Model 300CBi
Model TH-55
Model 269A
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
