Hughes Helicopters was a major manufacturer of
militaryA military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is in the current employ of a military power. Fixed-wing military aircraft are also known as Warplanes....
and civil
helicopterA helicopter is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. Helicopters are classified as rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from fixed-wing aircraft because the helicopter achieves lift with the...
s from the 1950s to the 1980s.
The company began in 1947, as a unit of
Hughes AircraftHughes Aircraft Company was a major American defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
, then was part of the
Hughes Tool CompanyHughes Tool Company was established in 1909 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes, Sr. patented a roller cutter bit that dramatically improved the rotary drilling process for oil drilling rigs. He partnered with longtime business associate Walter Benona Sharp to manufacture and market...
after 1955. It became the Hughes Helicopter Division,
Summa CorporationSumma Corporation was the name adopted for the business interests of Howard Hughes after he sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company in 1972. The tool division would merge with Baker International in 1987 to form Baker Hughes, the world's third-largest oil-services company...
in 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 to
McDonnell DouglasMcDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at St. Louis's Lambert International...
in 1984, where it soon adopted its new parent company's name.
Hughes Helicopters was a major manufacturer of
militaryA military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is in the current employ of a military power. Fixed-wing military aircraft are also known as Warplanes....
and civil
helicopterA helicopter is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. Helicopters are classified as rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from fixed-wing aircraft because the helicopter achieves lift with the...
s from the 1950s to the 1980s.
The company began in 1947, as a unit of
Hughes AircraftHughes Aircraft Company was a major American defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
, then was part of the
Hughes Tool CompanyHughes Tool Company was established in 1909 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes, Sr. patented a roller cutter bit that dramatically improved the rotary drilling process for oil drilling rigs. He partnered with longtime business associate Walter Benona Sharp to manufacture and market...
after 1955. It became the Hughes Helicopter Division,
Summa CorporationSumma Corporation was the name adopted for the business interests of Howard Hughes after he sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company in 1972. The tool division would merge with Baker International in 1987 to form Baker Hughes, the world's third-largest oil-services company...
in 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 to
McDonnell DouglasMcDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at St. Louis's Lambert International...
in 1984, where it soon adopted its new parent company's name. (See
MD HelicoptersMD Helicopters is an aerospace company that produces helicopters primarily for commercial use. Coverage here includes the company's tenure as McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems, a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas.- Background :...
for history of the company after this acquisition.)
History
In 1947,
Howard HughesHoward Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer, film director, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people in the world. He gained fame in the late 1920s as a maverick film producer, making big budget and often controversial films like Hell's Angels,...
redirected the
Hughes Aircraft Co.Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
's efforts from airplanes to helicopters. The effort began in earnest in 1948, when
helicopterA helicopter is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. Helicopters are classified as rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from fixed-wing aircraft because the helicopter achieves lift with the...
manufacturer Kellett Aircraft Co. sold their latest design to Hughes for production. The XH-17 "Sky Crane" first flew in October 1952, but was commercially unsuccessful. In 1955, Howard Hughes split the helicopter production unit from the Hughes Aircraft Co., and reconstituted it with the Hughes Tool Co. as the
Hughes Tool Co. Aircraft DivisionHughes Tool Company was established in 1909 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes, Sr. patented a roller cutter bit that dramatically improved the rotary drilling process for oil drilling rigs. He partnered with longtime business associate Walter Benona Sharp to manufacture and market...
, with a focus on the production of light helicopters.
The
Hughes Model 269The Hughes TH-55 Osage was a piston-powered light training helicopter produced for the United States Army. It was also produced as the Model 269 family of light utility helicopters, some of which were marketed as the Model 300...
was the 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. It would eventually become part of the Army inventory as a primary trainer (
TH-55 OsageThe Hughes TH-55 Osage was a piston-powered light training helicopter produced for the United States Army. It was also produced as the Model 269 family of light utility helicopters, some of which were marketed as the Model 300...
). In May
1965This is a list of aviation-related events from 1965:-January:* January 2 - Denis Healey, the UK's Secretary of Defense cancels the nation's fighter and military transport programmes and orders the purchase of the US-built F-4 Phantom and C-130 Hercules in their place.-February:* February 15 - G...
, the company won the contract for a new observation helicopter for the
U.S. ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
, and produced the
OH-6 CayuseThe Hughes Helicopters OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter with a four-bladed main rotor used for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation...
(Hughes Model 369).
The OH-6 was later developed into the civilian
Model 500The MD Helicopters MD 500 series is an American family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. The MD 500 was developed from the Hughes 500, a civilian version of the US Army's OH-6A Cayuse/Loach...
, variants of which remain in production to this day.
In
1972This is a list of aviation-related events from 1972:-January:* January 5 - US President Richard Nixon announces $US 5.5 billion in funding for the Space Shuttle program* January 27 - Civil aviation in Canada is halted by a strike by air traffic controllers...
, Hughes sold the tool division of
Hughes Tool CompanyHughes Tool Company was established in 1909 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes, Sr. patented a roller cutter bit that dramatically improved the rotary drilling process for oil drilling rigs. He partnered with longtime business associate Walter Benona Sharp to manufacture and market...
, and reconsolidated his remaining holdings as the
Summa CorporationSumma Corporation was the name adopted for the business interests of Howard Hughes after he sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company in 1972. The tool division would merge with Baker International in 1987 to form Baker Hughes, the world's third-largest oil-services company...
, which included Hughes' property and other businesses. The Aircraft Division became the Hughes Helicopter Division, Summa Corp.
That same year, the US Army issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an Advanced 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. In
1975This is a list of aviation-related events from 1975:-January:* A specially modified McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle sets eight time to climb records, including one of 3 minutes 27 seconds from standstill on the runway to a height of 30,000 metres ....
, Hughes' Model 77/
YAH-64The AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with reverse-tricycle landing gear, and tandem cockpit for a crew of two. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra...
was selected over Bell's
YAH-63The Bell Model 409/YAH-63 was an experimental attack helicopter for the Advanced Attack Helicopter competition. Hughes' Model 77/YAH-64, later developed into the AH-64 Apache, was selected over Bell's entry.-Design and development:...
. First flight of a development prototype occurred in
1977This is a list of aviation-related events from 1977:-January:*January 15 – Linjeflyg Flight 618, a Vickers Viscount 838. crashes in Kälvesta, Sweden just outside Stockholm killing all 22 on board.-March:...
.
In
1981This is a list of aviation-related events from 1981:-January:* January 3 - Pan Am makes its final Boeing 707 flight.* January 7 - a Boeing 747 of CAAC lands at JFK International Airport, marking the first time since 1949 that a flight from mainland China to the United States is performed.* January...
, Summa's Hughes Helicopter Division was reconstituted as
Hughes Helicopters, Inc.. By December, six AH-64A prototypes had been built and the Army had awarded a purchase contract to the company.
Production would reach more than 1,100 by 2005. In
1983This is a list of aviation-related events from 1983:-January:* January 1 - Eastern Air Lines' first revenue Boeing 757 flight.* January 30 - Sun Country Airlines begins operations....
, the first production model AH-64 rolled off the production line at the company's new
MesaMesa is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona and is a suburb of Phoenix, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the third-largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson....
,
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
facility. That same year, the company was honored by the
National Aeronautic AssociationThe National Aeronautic Association of the United States is a non-profit 501 organization and a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale , the international standard setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics and astronautics. NAA is the official record-keeper for United States...
with the prestigious
Collier TrophyThe Collier Trophy is an annual aviation award administered by the U.S. National Aeronautics Association , presented to those who have made "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space...
. The company also licensed
Schweizer AircraftThe Schweizer Aircraft Corporation, located in Horseheads, New York, was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers, who built their first glider in 1930....
to produce the Model 300C.
In
1984This is a list of aviation-related events from 1984:-February:* February 21 - 14 hours and 2 minutes after taking off from New York, Air France pilot Patrick Fourticq and his companion, race driver Henry Pescarolo, land their Piper Malibu in Paris, setting a world record for a trans-Atlantic flight...
, Hughes Helicopters, Inc. was sold to
McDonnell DouglasMcDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at St. Louis's Lambert International...
by
Summa CorporationSumma Corporation was the name adopted for the business interests of Howard Hughes after he sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company in 1972. The tool division would merge with Baker International in 1987 to form Baker Hughes, the world's third-largest oil-services company...
, under the parent's efforts to streamline its focus and interest in real estate development. McDonnell-Douglas paid $500 million for the company, which it soon renamed
McDonnell Douglas Helicopter SystemsMD Helicopters is an aerospace company that produces helicopters primarily for commercial use. Coverage here includes the company's tenure as McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems, a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas.- Background :...
. Although the direct link with Hughes was broken, the helicopter designs created by Hughes Helicopters would continue to be produced by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems,
MD HelicoptersMD Helicopters is an aerospace company that produces helicopters primarily for commercial use. Coverage here includes the company's tenure as McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems, a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas.- Background :...
, and
Schweizer AircraftThe Schweizer Aircraft Corporation, located in Horseheads, New York, was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers, who built their first glider in 1930....
.
Product list
Civil Helicopters
- Hughes 269
The Hughes TH-55 Osage was a piston-powered light training helicopter produced for the United States Army. It was also produced as the Model 269 family of light utility helicopters, some of which were marketed as the Model 300...
- Hughes 300
- Hughes 500
The MD Helicopters MD 500 series is an American family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. The MD 500 was developed from the Hughes 500, a civilian version of the US Army's OH-6A Cayuse/Loach...
- Hughes 530F
The MD Helicopters MD 500 series is an American family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. The MD 500 was developed from the Hughes 500, a civilian version of the US Army's OH-6A Cayuse/Loach...
Military Helicopters
- TH-55 Osage
The Hughes TH-55 Osage was a piston-powered light training helicopter produced for the United States Army. It was also produced as the Model 269 family of light utility helicopters, some of which were marketed as the Model 300...
- OH-6 Cayuse
- MH-6 Little Bird
The MH-6 Little Bird, and its attack variant, the AH-6, are single-engine light helicopters used for special operations aviation in the United States Army. Originally based on a modified OH-6A, it was later based on the MD 500E, with a single five-bladed main rotor...
- Hughes 500 Defender
The MD Helicopters MD 500 Defender is an American light multi-role military helicopter based on the MD Helicopters MD 500 light utility helicopter.-Design and development:...
- AH-64 Apache
The AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with reverse-tricycle landing gear, and tandem cockpit for a crew of two. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra...
Experimental Helicopters
External links