Oldest Flying Helicopter

[Warbird Kid]

Talking with a fellow volunteer at the CASC's first annual Military Vehicle Show we got to wondering...

What is the world's oldest flying Helicopter?

Sikorsky HO5S-1 (S-52) N74817?
An early Bell 47?

Aaaaaaaaaaand Go!

Last edited by Warbird Kid on Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mike furline]

Here's a Bell 47D s/n 20, N12888, 1947, still registered with the FAA. https://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitle ... -1/1549634

[JohnB]

There were two Bell 47Bs flying back in the 90s.
They were the "cabin" models with two doors and a Huey/JetRanger like nose. One was tan and flown by Neil Armstrong on the old First Flights seeies, the other was red and white.
I think the tan one is in a museum now (Buffalo, I think).
I just checked, the red/white one, cn 36, N116B, is now listed with the Smithsonian.

There is a good chance the "D" shown in Mike's post abive, started life with a cabin "B".
Certainly, Sn 20 would have been a B when new.
Appearance wise, it is now a "G", with a G cabin, D-G skids, G twin fuel tanks and rear stabilizer.

Back in the day, many Bs had their heavy cabins removed and replaced by D bowl cabin and spent their working lives as "D"s.
The Tan B owned by Dr.Voss was one such ship.
From there, it would have been simple to upgrade a B/D to a G.

Last edited by JohnB on Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mike furline]

Here's the Tan 47B https://americanhelicopter.museum/aircraft/bell-47b/

[Hooligan2]

Here's the Tan 47B https://americanhelicopter.museum/aircraft/bell-47b/

That is an excellent museum - stumbled upon it when a friend and I landed for a coffee and a pee in a rented C172 - stayed for rather longer than the half hour we intended!

[Craig59]

If not a Bell 47 then my guess would have been the Sikorsky HO5S you mentioned, Chris, although I don’t know how active the owner/restorer is with it.

Beyond that, the most actively flown would likely be one of the Sikorsky S-55 variants operated by Golden Wings or one of several independents still using the type for cherry drying, lift, or right-of-way, aerial saw clearing.

[Noha307]

Not flying at the moment, but the CAF has an R-4 project that apparently is under consideration for restoration to airworthy condition. It's been registered as N4605V since 1998.

The Classic Rotors Museum has an HRP project that is under restoration to airworthy condition as well. However, IIRC, the plan was to not do anything more than hover a few feet off the ground, so I guess you could question if this would really be "flying".

[old iron]

The Smithsonian 47B set the world's hovering record at >50 hours in 1989 and flew until 2004:

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/bell-47b/nasm_A20050066000

The Smithsonian HO5S-1 flew until shortly before its donation in 2007. I don't think this type quite predates the 47, and this example might be a bit closer to the Korean War, where it saw action.

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/sikorsky-ho5s-1/nasm_A20070091000

Kevin

[JohnB]

Not flying at the moment, but the CAF has an R-4 project that apparently is under consideration for restoration to airworthy condition. It's been registered as N4605V since 1998.

The CAF has been saying that for the last 40 years.
So with all due respect for the Colonels from Texas...I'll believe it when I see it!

While the fuselage and engine are nothing too difficult to do,, Aside from a unique transmission, the type has wood ribbed fabric covered rotor blades. I can only imagine the cost of those.

Unless I am mistaken, the availability of rotor blades are a primary reason why they is only one flying of the HH-43 Huskie series and the H-21 Shawnee/Workhorse. So don't underestimate the challenges in making bespoke rotor blades.

And for my two cents worth of advice (which no one has asked for), Classic Rotors would be better off putting their resources towards flying a smaller, better supported (I'm guessing there are some parts, and several airframes, out there as opposed to the HRP) HUP.

The sole airworthy example of the Retriever was lost in a fatal accident a few years back. It frequently appeared at the museum's airshows, flying with a H-21, CH-46 and CH-47...a unique family portrait.

While the HRP is a historic type, as the first large USMC helicopter and a early tandem rotor machine, the HUP has a much more extensive service history.

[Warbird Kid]

Not flying at the moment, but the CAF has an R-4 project that apparently is under consideration for restoration to airworthy condition. It's been registered as N4605V since 1998.

The CAF has been saying that for the last 40 years.
So with all due respect for the Colonels from Texas...I'll believe it when I see it!

While the fuselage and engine are nothing too difficult to do,, Aside from a unique transmission, the type has wood ribbed fabric covered rotor blades. I can only imagine the cost of those.

I have often thought about that R4 and how great it would be to create a CT based wing with the intention of restoring the R4 to fly. Of course you'd probably need a large tractor trailer to bring it to shows to fly. Not to mention a Bell 47 for familiarization training flights / etc.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Not flying at the moment, but the CAF has an R-4 project that apparently is under consideration for restoration to airworthy condition. It's been registered as N4605V since 1998.

Unless I am mistaken, the availability of rotor blades are a primary reason why they is only one flying of the HH-43 Huskie series and the H-21 Shawnee/Workhorse. So don't underestimate the challenges in making bespoke rotor blades.

I think there are two HH-43's flying. One on the Westcoast and Kaman's in Bloomfield, CT. They use it for pilot training into the K-Max.
Jerry

[Jerry O'Neill]

Oldest U.S. flying helicopter is most likely a member of the Bell 47 family. The HO5S that is flying is a 1951 airframe and was flown a lot last Spring for the filming of the movie "Devotion".

[JohnB]

I think there are two HH-43's flying. One on the Westcoast and Kaman's in Bloomfield, CT. They use it for pilot training into the K-Max.
Jerry

I wouldn't mind being proven wrong, but I was under the impression Kaman was no longer operating theirs.
After all, the production line for K-Max was shut for more than a decade.
But Kaman did, I believe, have unsold units available, so even then they could have continued training operations.

Also, the museum which operates the one in Washington said (IIRC) that theirs was the last flying example.

[marine air]

A few months ago a helicopter came into McMinnville, Tenn, (KRNC) . It was like seeing a ghost as I knew it to be an older design than the H-34. I looked up it's registry and it is N2300Z. A Sikorski S-55/ H-19 built in 1954. Better yet it appeared to be in excellent condition and still used for some commercial purpose. Someone must have a large cache of spare parts to keep it going.

[Hooligan2]

Looks like N2300Z has a turbine, recall seeing a number of airframes at Orlando/Kissimmee in 1984 that were supposed to be for turbine conversion.