Hillberg Helicopters

Last updated

Hillberg Helicopters
Type Privately held company
Industry Aerospace
FounderDonald Gene Hillberg
Defunctafter 1998
FateOut of business
Headquarters,
Products Kit aircraft

Hillberg Helicopters was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Fountain Valley, California and founded by Donald Gene Hillberg. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of helicopters in the form of kits for amateur construction. [1]

The company offered a turbine conversion kit for the Rotorway Exec, using a Solar T62 auxiliary power unit engine to create the Hillberg Turbine Exec. The Hillberg EH1-01 RotorMouse was a single-seat helicopter with stub-wings. At least one example of each design was flown. [1] [2]

A Hillberg EH1-02 TandemMouse, two-seats-in-tandem version of the RotorMouse design was proposed and construction of a prototype commenced. [1]

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by Hillberg Helicopters
Model nameFirst flightNumber builtType
Hillberg Turbine Exec 1990sat least oneTurbine conversion of the Rotorway Exec
Hillberg EH1-01 RotorMouse 1993at least oneTurbine single-seat helicopter

Related Research Articles

Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil, Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Limited just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915. During the war the company produced a number of generally unsuccessful designs, but their Lysander would serve as an important liaison aircraft with the Royal Air Force. After the war the company focused on helicopters, and was merged with several other British firms to create Westland Helicopters in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOTAR</span> Alternative helicopter tail system with no external tail rotor.

NOTAR is a helicopter system which avoids the use of a tail rotor. It was developed by McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems. The system uses a fan inside the tail boom to build a high volume of low-pressure air, which exits through two slots and creates a boundary layer flow of air along the tailboom utilizing the Coandă effect. The boundary layer changes the direction of airflow around the tailboom, creating thrust opposite the motion imparted to the fuselage by the torque effect of the main rotor. Directional yaw control is gained through a vented, rotating drum at the end of the tailboom, called the direct jet thruster. Advocates of NOTAR believe the system offers quieter and safer operation over a traditional tail rotor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiller OH-23 Raven</span> Family of light helicopters

The Hiller OH-23 Raven is a three-place, military light observation helicopter based on the Hiller Model 360. The Model 360 was designated by the company as the UH-12, which was first flown in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helicopter</span> Type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally-spinning rotors

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes allow helicopters to be used in congested or isolated areas where fixed-wing aircraft and many forms of STOL or STOVL aircraft cannot perform without a runway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle Helicycle</span> Type of aircraft

The Helicycle is a single-seat, semi-rigid two-bladed main rotor, helicopter powered by a Solar T62-32 engine. Manufactured by Helicycle Ventures LLC in Mesilla, New Mexico as a kit, the aircraft is intended to be assembled by the owner and is considered a homebuilt aircraft. The Helicycle was conceived and designed by B.J. Schramm, the founder of RotorWay International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percival P.74</span> Type of aircraft

The Percival P.74 was a British experimental helicopter designed in the 1950s that was based on the use of tip-jet powered rotors. Although innovative, the tip-rotor concept literally failed to get off the ground in the P.74, doomed by its inadequate power source. Rather than being modified, the P.74 was towed off the airfield and scrapped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RotorWay Exec</span> American kit helicopter

The RotorWay Exec is a family of American two-bladed, skid-equipped, two-seat kit helicopters, manufactured by RotorWay International of Chandler, Arizona and supplied in kit form for amateur-construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCulloch MC-4</span> Type of aircraft

The McCulloch Model MC-4 was an American tandem-rotor helicopter and was the first helicopter developed by McCulloch Aircraft Corporation, a division of McCulloch Motors Corporation. It was evaluated by the United States Army as the YH-30 and the United States Navy as the XHUM-1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar T62</span> Type of aircraft

The Solar T62 Titan is an American gas turbine engine used mainly as a helicopter auxiliary power unit (APU), ground power generator, turboprop engine or helicopter turboshaft engine. A free power turbine version was developed as the Solar T66.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heli-Sport CH-7</span> Type of aircraft

The Cicaré CH-7 and Heli-Sport CH7 are a series of ultralight, kit-built helicopters based on a single-seat Argentinian design from the late 1980s. It was later developed into a tandem two-seater, and remains in production.

The RotorWay Helicopter Manufacturing Company, formerly called RotorWay International, was a manufacturer of kit helicopters located in Chandler, Arizona, United States. The company was founded by B.J. Schramm in 1961 as RotorWay Aircraft. RotorWay International was bought February 14, 2007 by a small group of investors comprising the company's upper-level management – Grant Norwitz, CEO, Bill Adams, COO, and Judy Craven, CFO. Of these, only Norwitz was still with the company in mid-2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyworks Global</span> American autogyro research and development company

Skyworks Global, formerly Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. and then Groen Aeronautics Corporation, is an American autogyro research and development company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company was founded in 1986 by David Groen and his late brother Jay Groen. David Groen remains as Senior Advisor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynali H2S</span> Belgian kit helicopter

The Dynali H2S is a Belgian helicopter, designed by Jacky Tonet and produced by Dynali of the Thines district of Nivelles. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction or fully assembled, supplied ready-to-fly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpi Aviation</span> Italian light aircraft manufacturer

Alpi Aviation srl is an Italian aircraft manufacturer based in Pordenone. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of light aircraft in the form of kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly aircraft in the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Command International</span> Aircraft manufacturer

Air Command International, Inc. is an American aircraft manufacturer originally based in Wylie, Texas, later in Caddo Mills, Texas and now in River Falls, Wisconsin. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of autogyros in the form of kits for amateur construction for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles and the US Experimental - Amateur-built aircraft categories.

The Farrington Twinstar is an American two-seat autogyro that was designed and produced by Farrington Aircraft of Paducah, Kentucky, a company owned by Don Farrington. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction. It first flew in 1993.

The Hillberg Turbine Exec is an American helicopter turbine engine conversion kit for the piston-engined Rotorway Exec. It was designed and produced by Hillberg Helicopters of Fountain Valley, California. Now out of production, when it was available the kit was supplied for installation by amateur aircraft builders.

The Hillberg EH1-01 RotorMouse is an American helicopter that was designed by Donald Gene Hillberg and produced by Hillberg Helicopters of Fountain Valley, California, first flying in 1993. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

The Midwest Zodiac Talon-Turbine is an American helicopter that was designed and produced by Midwest Engineering & Design of Overland Park, Kansas. When it was available the aircraft was supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction, but the plans are no longer advertised for sale.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 324-325 and 352. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN   0-9636409-4-1
  2. Federal Aviation Administration (March 30, 2015). "N-Number Inquiry Results - N10TE" . Retrieved March 30, 2015.