United Helicopters was formed in 1945 as a joint venture between Stanley Hiller and Henry Kaiser.[1] The company made a very wide range of helicopters, including the world's first successful two-seat co-axial helicopter[2] and several single-seater "commuter" helicopters.
The company was also notable for making military helicopters, however, including the UH-12/H-23. While Bell Helicopter's notable UH-1 contains the United Helicopter prefix "UH", it actually competed directly against United's "Ten99" and UH in that case was its military designation and not the Bell's designation.[3]
The company lives on as Hiller Aircraft.[4] The Hiller Aviation Museum has several United Helicopter prototype helicopters available for display.
References[]
- ↑ "Helis.com Hiller Background". http://www.helis.com/timeline/hiller.php.
- ↑ "US and Russian Helicopter Development in the 20th Century". http://www.vtol.org/History.htm.
- ↑ Spenser, Jay P. (1998). Whirlybirds – A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
- ↑ "Hiller Aircraft Official Homepage". http://www.hilleraircraft.com/.
The original article can be found at United Helicopters and the edit history here.