Hughes Helicopterswas a major manufacturer ofmilitaryand civilianhelicoptersfrom the 1950s to the 1980s.
 | |
 TH-55 Osage | |
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Fate | Acquired byMcDonnell Douglas |
| Successor | McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems |
| Headquarters | , United States |
The company began in 1947, as a unit ofHughes Aircraft,then was part of theHughes Tool Companyafter 1955.[1]It became the Hughes Helicopter Division,Summa Corporationin 1972, and was reformed as Hughes Helicopters, Inc. in 1981. However, throughout its history, the company was informally known as "Hughes Helicopters". It was sold toMcDonnell Douglasin 1984 and made asubsidiaryunder the nameMcDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems,which was later renamedMD Helicopterswhen McDonnell Douglas merged withBoeing.
History
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In 1947,Howard Hughesredirected theHughes Aircraft Company's efforts from airplanes to helicopters. The effort began in earnest in 1948, whenhelicoptermanufacturerKellett Autogiro Corporationsold their latest design to Hughes for production. TheXH-17 "Sky Crane"first flew in October 1952, but was commercially unsuccessful. In 1955 the company began building light helicopters[2]when Howard Hughes split the helicopter production unit from the Hughes Aircraft Co., and reconstituted it with the Hughes Tool Co. as theHughes Tool Co. Aircraft Division,with a focus on the production of light helicopters.
TheHughes Model 269was the company's first successful helicopter design. Built in 1956, and entering production in 1957, it served to capture a large portion of the commercial market for Hughes.[3]It would eventually become part of the Army inventory as a primary trainer (TH-55 Osage). In May1965,the company won the contract for a new observation helicopter for theU.S. Army,and produced theOH-6 Cayuse(Hughes Model 369).[4]The OH-6 was later developed into the civilianModel 500,variants of which remain in production to this day.
In1972,Hughes sold the tool division ofHughes Tool Company,and reconsolidated his remaining holdings as theSumma Corporation,which included Hughes' property and other businesses. The Aircraft Division became the Hughes Helicopter Division, Summa Corp.[5]That same year, the US Army issued a request for proposals (RFP) for anAdvanced Attack Helicopter(AAH). From an initial list of 5 manufacturers Hughes Aircraft's Toolco Aircraft Division (later Hughes Helicopters) and Bell were selected as finalists. In1975,Hughes' Model 77/YAH-64was selected overBell'sYAH-63.First flight of a development prototype occurred in1977.Also in 1975, Hughes engineers at began concept development work ofNOTAR.[6]
In1981,Summa's Hughes Helicopter Division was reconstituted asHughes Helicopters, Inc..By December, six AH-64A prototypes had been built and the Army had awarded a purchase contract to the company.[7]Production would reach more than 1,100 by 2005. In1983,the first production model AH-64 rolled off the production line at the company's newMesa, Arizonafacility. That same year, the company was honored by theNational Aeronautic Associationwith the prestigiousCollier Trophy.The company also licensedSchweizer Aircraftto produce theModel 300C.
In January1984,Hughes Helicopters, Inc. was sold toMcDonnell DouglasbySumma Corporation,under the parent's efforts to streamline itsfocus and interest in real estate development.McDonnell Douglas paid $470 million for the company and made it asubsidiary.Hughes Helicopters was renamedMcDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systemslater in August 1984.[8]Although the direct link with Hughes was broken, the helicopter designs created by Hughes Helicopters would continue to be produced byBoeing Rotorcraft Systems,MD Helicopters,andSchweizer RSG.
Aircraft
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| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes XH-17 | 1952 | 1 | Experimental heavy-lift helicopter |
| Hughes 269 | 1956 | 2,800[a] | Light utility helicopter |
| Hughes OH-6 Cayuse | 1963 | 1,420[b] | Light observation helicopter |
| Hughes 500 | 1963 | 4,700[b] | Civilian version of Hughes OH-6 |
| Hughes XV-9 | 1964 | 1 | Experimental high speed helicopter |
| Hughes AH-64 Apache | 1975 | 2,400[c] | Attack helicopter |
| Hughes 500 Defender | 1976 | 471[b] | Military version of Hughes 500 |
| Hughes MH-6 Little Bird | Special operations forces version of Hughes OH-6 |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^Rumerman, Judy."The Hughes Companies".U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Archived fromthe originalon October 10, 2007.
- ^CompanyArchived2009-03-05 at theWayback Machine.MD Helicopters. Retrieved on 2013-08-16.
- ^"Hughes Model 269A (TH55) Osage".sprucegoose.org. Archived fromthe originalon December 21, 2008.RetrievedMarch 10,2011.
- ^"The Boeing Logbook: 1964 – 1970".Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon May 24, 2011.RetrievedMarch 10,2011.
- ^"The Hughes Tool Co.... Looking at Rotors".Post-War Developments: 1946–1956.Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon March 9, 2011.RetrievedMarch 10,2011.
- ^Frawley, Gerard:The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003–2004,page 155. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003.ISBN1-875671-58-7
- ^"The Boeing Logbook: 1977 – 1982".Boeing. Archived fromthe originalon March 6, 2012.RetrievedMarch 10,2011.
- ^Richardson, Doug and Lindsay Peacock.Combat Aircraft AH-64,pp. 14–15. London: Salamander Books, 1992.ISBN0-86101-675-0.
