TH-55 Osage

Infobox Aircraft
name = TH-55 Osage
Hughes 269



caption = Hughes TH-55 Osage
type=Light utility and trainer helicopter
manufacturer= Hughes Helicopters
designer=
first flight= October 1956
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user= United States Army
more users=
produced= 1961-1983
number built= 2800 [ [http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/Frtypen/FRSch300.htm FLUG REVIEW online] accessed 1 October 2007]
unit cost=
variants with their own articles= Schweizer 300

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 maketed as the Model 300. The Model 300C was produced and further developed by Schweizer after 1983.

Development

In 1955, Hughes Tool Company's Aircraft Division carried out a market survey which showed that there was a demand for a low-cost, lightweight two-seat helicopter. [http://avia.russian.ee/helicopters_eng/mcdonnel-200.php Hughes Model 269/300] accessed 1 October 2007] The division began building the Model 269 in September 1955. It was initially designed as a fully-glazed cockpit with seating for two pilots, or a pilot and passenger, It also had an open-framework fuselage and a three-blade articulated rotor. The prototype flew on 2 October 1956, [http://www.sprucegoose.org/pdfs/planes/General/Hughes269Osage.pdf Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum] accessed 1 October 2007] but it wasn't until 1960 that the decision was made to develop the helicopter for production. The original truss-work tailboom was replaced with a tubular tailboom and the cockpit was restructured and refined prior to being put into production, and Hughes successfully captured a large portion of the civilian helicopter market with an aircraft that would prove itself popular in agriculture, police work and other duties.

Design

The Hughes 269 was created with a fully articulated, counter-clockwise rotating, three-bladed main rotor, and a two-bladed tail rotor that would remain as distinctive characteristics of all its variants. It also has shock absorber-dampened, skid-type landing gear. The flight controls are directly linked to the control surfaces of the helicopter so there are no hydraulics in the 269. There are generally two sets of controls, although this was optional on the civil 269A. For three-seat aircraft, the middle collective control stick is removable and a seat cushion can be put in its place for the third passenger.

Operational history

In 1958, prior to full-time production, Hughes provided five pre-production Model 269 examples to the U.S. Army for evaluation as a light observation helicopter to replace the aging OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven. Designated as the YHO-2HUFrawley, 2002 p. 148.] Gunston, 1978. p. 205.] the helicopter was eventually turned down. 9 April 1959, the 269 received certification from the FAA and Hughes continued to concentrate on civil production. With some design changes, deliveries of the Model 269A version began in 1961. By mid-1963 about 20 aircraft were being produced a month and by the spring of 1964, 314 had been built.

While the Army hadn't found the Model 269 adequate for combat missions, in 1964 it adopted the Model 269A as its training helicopter to replace the TH-23 and designated it the TH-55A Osage. 792 TH-55 helicopters would be delivered by 1969, and it would remain in service as the Army's primary helicopter trainer until it was replaced in 1988 by the UH-1 Huey. At the time of its replacement, over 60,000 Army pilots had trained on TH-55 making it the Army's longest serving training helicopter. In addition to the US Army, Hughes delivered TH-55/269/300s to other military customers.

In 1964, Hughes introduced the slightly-larger three-seat Model 269B which it marketed as the Hughes 300. That same year, the Hughes 269 set an endurance record of 101 hours. To set the record, two pilots took turns piloting the aircraft and hovered in ground-effect for fueling. To ensure no cheating, eggs were affixed to the bottom of the skid gear to register any record-ending landing.

The Hughes 300 was followed in 1969 by the improved Hughes 300C (sometimes 269C), which first flew on 6 March 1969 received FAA certification in May 1970. This new model introduced a more powerful 190hp (140kW) Lycoming HIO-360-D1A engine and increased diameter rotor, giving a payload increase of 45%, plus overall performance improvements. It was this model that Schweizer began building under license from Hughes in 1983.Frawley, 2003. p. 190.] In 1986, Schweizer acquired all rights to the helicopter from McDonnell Douglas, who had purchased Hughes Helicopters in 1984 and renamed it McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems. For a few years after Schweizer acquired the FAA Type Certificate it was known as the Schweizer-Hughes 300. And, while Schweizer made over 250 minor improvements, the basic design remained unchanged.

Between Hughes and Schweizer, and including foreign-licensed production civil and military training aircraft, nearly 3,000 copies of the Model 269/300 have been built and flown over the last 50 years. And that would be the end of the story, however, Schweizer continued to develop the model 300 by adding a turbine and redesigning the body to create the model 330. And then further developing the dynamic components to take greater advantage of the power of the turbine engine led to the development of the Model 333.

Variants

;Hughes 269 : Two prototype aircraft powered by a 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A engine and had a truss tail boom. First flown on 2 October 1956.;269A :Replacing the prototype truss tail boom with a tapered monocoque, aluminum tail boom, the 269A came with the option of 180 hp Lycoming engines; the low-compression O-369-C2D, the high compression HO-360-B1B, or the fuel-injected HIO-360-B1A. Customers also had the option for dual controls, and a 19 gal (72 liter) auxiliary tank. ;YHO-2 :Five 269A aircraft evaluated by the U.S. Army for an observation helicopter in 1957-58. The Army did not order the YHO-2 due to lack of funds.;TH-55A :792 model 269A helicopters purchased by the U.S. Army between 1964 and 1967. Selected as its standard training helicopter and named after the Osage native American tribe. It was fitted with military radio and instrumentation. An experimental TH-55A was fitted with an Allison 250-C18 turboshaft engine, and another would be fitted with a 185 hp Wankel RC 2-60 rotary engine.;TH-55J :38 license-produced versions of the 269A, built by Kawasaki Jukogyo KK for the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force;269A-1 "Model 200 Utility" :The 269A-1 was a deluxe model of the 269A featuring custom interior, paint, cyclic trim and was marketed as the Hughes Model 200. [Hirschberg and Daley, 7 July 2000] The Model 200 also offered an optional 30 gal (114 liter) main fuel tank instead of the standard 25 gal (95 liter) tank, however, it did not come with the O-369-C2D engine option.;Model 200 Deluxe : Generally similar to the Model 200.;269B "Model 300" :Featuring a three-seat cockpit, the 269B was powered by a 190 hp Lycoming HIO-360-A1A engine and was marketed as the Hughes Model 300. Optional floats were also available on the 300, the first time available on any 269-variant.;280U :single-seat, utility version of the 269B with an electric clutch and trim system. The 280U could be fitted with spraying equipment for agricultural applications.;300AG :269B designed specifically for agricultural spraying with a 30 gal (114 liter) chemical tank on each side of the fuselage, and a 35 feet (10.67 m) spray boom.;300B :269B with a Quiet Tail Rotor installed to reduce exterior noise levels to that of a light airplane. The QTR was installed on all production models starting in June 1967 and offered as a kit for previously built aircraft.;269C "Model 300C" :The 300C was powered by a 190 hp (141 kW) Lycoming HIO-360-D1A and had a larger diameter main rotor (26 ft 10 in compared to 25 ft 4 in). The larger rotor and engine giving it a 45% performance increase over previous 269-models. Hughes and Schweizer both marketed the 269C as the Model 300C.;NH-300C :License-built 269C by Italian aircraft manufacturing firm BredaNardi.;300C Sky Knight: Police patrol version of the Model 300C.;TH-300C: Military training version.

Operators

YHO-2

;USA
*United States Army
**Army Aviation Test Center operated 5 aircraft between 1957 and 1958.

Hughes 269

;ALG
*Algerian Air Force;BRA
*Brazilian Navy
**1° Esquadrao de Helicopteros de Instrucao operated Hughes 269A-1 aircraft.;CRI
*Ministry of Public Security operated Hughes 269C aircraft.;HAI
*Haiti Air Force (disbanded)
**Escadre d'Helicoptéres operated three Hughes 269C aircraft between 1978 and 1988 [ [http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/haiti/Haiti-af-EscHel.htm Haiti Air Force Unit History] ] ;IND
*Indian Navy operated four Hughes 269C aircraft designated as Hu300.
**INAS 562 (1971-circa 1985) [ [http://www.warbirdsofindia.com/wbgoanam07.html Warbirds of India] ] ;PHI
*Philippine Constabulary operated two Hughes 269B aircraft in PC/INP Air Unit.;PRK;SLE
*Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces operated (circa 1990) two Hughes 269C aircraft designated as Saab 300C.;flagicon|Spain|1939 Spanish State
*Spanish Air Force
**Escuadron 782 operated Hughes 269A-1 aircraft designated HE.20.;SWE
*Swedish Army operated two Hughes 269A as Hkp 5A between 1962 and 1969.

NH-300C

;GRE
*Hellenic Army Aviation operates 17 aircraft.

TH-55

;COL
*Colombian Air Force
**Escuela de Helicopteros operated TH-55A.;JPN
*Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force received 38 TH-55J aircraft.;NGA Fact|date=May 2007 ;THA
*Royal Thai Army operated TH-55A.;USA
*United States Army received 792 TH-55A aircraft.
**Fort Wolters, Texas operated TH-55A between 1964 and 1973.
**Fort Rucker, Alabama operated TH-55A between 1973 and 1987.

pecifications

Hughes 269A

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

crew=2
payload main=
payload alt=
length main=28 ft 11 in
length alt=8.8 m
span main=25 ft
span alt=7.6 m
height main=7 ft 11 in
height alt=2.4 m
area main= 196.8 ft²
area alt= 18.1 m²
empty weight main= 896 lb
empty weight alt= 406 kg
loaded weight main= 1550 lb
loaded weight alt= 703 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Lycoming HIO-360-B1A
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main= 180 hp
power alt= 134 kW

max speed main= 78 kts
max speed alt= 90 mph
cruise speed main= 65 kts
cruise speed alt= 75 mph
range main= 203 nm
range alt= 233 miles
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

avionics=

References

*Abulo, Samuel A. "The Story of the PC/INP Air Unit," "The Constable & INP Journal" 17 (July-August 1985): 27-31.
*Gunston, Bill "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Modern Military Aircraft", Crescent Books, New York, NY USA, ca. 1978. ISBN 0-517-22477-1.
*Michael J. Hirschberg and David K. Daley [http://www.webcitation.org/5JNrx2yIy "US and Russian Helicopter Development In the 20th Century", 7 July 2000.] accessed 1 October 2007
*Frawley, Gerard "The International Directiory of Civil Aircraft, 2003-2004", Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. ISBN 1-875671-58-7.
*Frawley, Gerard "The International Directiory of Military Aircraft", Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2002. ISBN 1-875671-55-2.

External links

* [http://www.vtol.org/History.htm US and Russian Helicopter Development In the 20th Century]

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Schweizer 300

similar aircraft=
* Bell 47
* OH-23 Raven
* Robinson R22

sequence=
*Hughes:
** 269 - 300C - 369 - 500

lists=

see also=