STOL

Silvaire

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Silvaire
I know the term has come to be associated with a competition sport where pilots flying highly modified experimental aircraft bordering on ultralight weights skip lunch in hopes of making the shortest take off and landing but I just came across this promotional video made by Helio back ion 1954 and holy cow it's impressive. Skip to the 4:00 minute mark for some bat-crazy stuff!

 
My mechanic takes care of one. Crazy planes. Maybe I’ll win the lottery and get to buy it.
 
Polaroid factory...what'd they make or do?
 
That’s pretty wild. Video makes it look like it flies more like my RC stuff.
 
Cool plane...but I doubt many CEOs will ask for a second flight after that hair of the dog departure from their parking lot with a half crazed pilot at the stick.
 
One of the tv stations in Minneapolis had one for a while back in the ‘80s. I got a ride in it while they were sitting at my home airport.
 
Test question for the oldies among us.... What organization put on an amazing exhibit of the Helio @ OSH in the early days?

Bonus points... Modifications to what certified a/c type lead directly to the Helio?

No Googling allowed!

Jim
 
Was working in the same office as a group developing a space-based agricultural monitoring system about twenty years ago. They were using Boeing's Helio Courier to fly the camera over various farm fields in Western Washington. Lead engineer on the program knew I was a pilot, and he invited me to fly right seat one day. They weren't using the Courier for its STOL capability, but for its large cabin that allowed the camera to be pointed out the floor with an operator located all the way in the back.

The plane was based out of King County Airport in Seattle (better known as Boeing Field). It was operated by the Boeing Flight Test department. My pilot was normally working 767 testing, and, I gathered, had little GA experience. We would be flying over the fields at 3,000 feet, and when I suggested we could follow a particular railroad track to get to the test area, he told me we wouldn't be able to pick it out. Too used to be flying at 30,000 feet.

The airplane itself was interesting. Civilian paint job, except on the tail, where it was all shiny new metal. Someone had ground-looped it at Moses Lake, and it had been repaired but not repainted. I looked online and found several pictures of the airplane, but none with the unpainted tail.

Boeing Flight Test operated the Helio just like an airliner; multiple ground crew to monitor engine start and wave us to the runway. The pilot wasn't operating it in the STOL mode; the takeoff just seemed normal. He let me fly it to and from the test area (following the railroad track, in fact). Handled normally; a bit truck-like in my impression, similar to the Stinson I'd previously owned. The slats would come out and retract automatically, and I noticed little change in the handling.

One of the interesting bits of trivia I've heard is that there are more Helio Couriers than Helio ever made. The CIA loved them for Air America, and built their own....

Ron Wanttaja
 
Test question for the oldies among us.... What organization put on an amazing exhibit of the Helio @ OSH in the early days?
JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Radio Service)

<—oldie

I also happen to work with a guy who was a demo pilot for Helio for a while. I need to ask him about that sometime.
 
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......One of the interesting bits of trivia I've heard is that there are more Helio Couriers than Helio ever made. The CIA loved them for Air America, and built their own....

Ron Wanttaja

I’m having trouble getting my head wrapped around the CIA built airplanes.
 
I’m having trouble getting my head wrapped around the CIA built airplanes.

"We need 10 ship sets of Courier spares. Please send them to xxxyyy so we can repair our broken ones."

Alternately, "Please build us 10 Couriers. But do not keep record on those aircraft. They will not be registered through the FAA, so do not fall under their purview."
 
One of the interesting bits of trivia I've heard is that there are more Helio Couriers than Helio ever made. The CIA loved them for Air America, and built their own....
It's actually a bit more interesting than just producing a few more aircraft. The Helio mfg'r took Air America, et al., to court in the mid/late 70s claiming AA purposely put them out of business in order to capture the supply of all Helio aircraft, parts, etc for use in SE Asia. It seems everyone flying covert ops was using Helios. There are a few documents/articles out there that get into more detail and make for an entertaining read. As to AA producing the Helios, it's my understanding it started with combining parts from wrecks under a new data tag and when they ran out of old parts they supposedly got copies of the original Helio drawings and had more parts produced in Taiwan and Thailand.
 
JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Radio Service)

<—oldie

I also happen to work with a guy who was a demo pilot for Helio for a while. I need to ask him about that sometime.


Good job! They were amazing demos!

The original test bed for the Helio technology was a Piper PA15 Vagabond (essentially a side-by-side clipped-wing Cub), which was modified into exp. with drooping ailerons and leading edge slots. Have a pic of it somewhere in my library.

Your '<-oldie' observation is correct, sir! ;-)

Jim
 
Good job! They were amazing demos!

The original test bed for the Helio technology was a Piper PA15 Vagabond (essentially a side-by-side clipped-wing Cub), which was modified into exp. with drooping ailerons and leading edge slots. Have a pic of it somewhere in my library.

Your '<-oldie' observation is correct, sir! ;-)

Jim
Love to see the PA-15 pic if you can find it!

I always came away from OSH trying to figure out how to get on with JAARS. Are they still around?
 
They made the original SD cards. You know the ones that come in a little canister and you take to a photo shop to turn into paper images...
Uh no.

Polaroid was instant film.
 
Cantilevered wing known for corrosion issues. My bro-in-law had a couple. A customer friend also had one. He died in a wing separation accident. I came very close to buying a 250 model. In retrospect I’m glad I didn’t.

These new-age modified Supercub variants have more space, carry bigger useful loads, and are better at STOL.
 
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These new-age modified Supercub variants have more space, carry bigger useful loads, and are better at STOL.

You sure about all of that? The Courier holds 4+ people, and I'm not aware of any of the Cub clones which do that or which have a thousand poundish useful load like the Courier.
 
I love the videos showing super short take off’s and landings. Never mind the wind howling over the camera mic. What you never see is a windsock or any other wind indicator in the fram.
 
I'm sure. My own Cub has more space and over 1000# useful. I had 3 seats and room for more. I only need 2.

Water is a great wind gauge. Not much wind in the video I posted.

Helios are cool planes if you get to see one flown by a good Helio pilot. Most guys fly them like Cessnas. That's not very impressive.
 
Water is a great wind gauge. Not much wind in the video I posted.

Is that a certified or experimental SortaCub? I'm wondering because I didn't realize there was an STC for slats on a certified bird. I know the experimental guys have everything you can think of hung off of theirs.
 
A moving river is not a good wind indicator. Not to say that SQ2 inst impressive, it is, but wind sure helps!
 
Well, I waited long enough. I see the early indications that this gonna turn into STOL internet battle-fun. Some of you figured I’d eventually post this link. Sorry, couldn’t help myself, lol. Merry Christmas y’all. (EDIT- I have never seen a Helio fly, so I don’t know if this is even a valid comparison).

 
I got 15 minutes in a Katmai, 1 take off, around the pattern and 1 landing. Amazing plane.!!

If only they made a Katmai 206.....

.....or a Katmai RG...lol!

Only about half-kidding. Theoretically, trimming the tail loads off with the canard might improve top end...(thinking here about our 182RG, of course)

Jim
 
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I have never flown in a Helio, but have met several.

The first was at College Park, MD, and a salesman was demonstrating the capabilities of that unique plane. I was a student pilot, practicing Take off, and Landings in a 1960 Cessna 150. If I was behind him, I learned to leave the pattern, and circle back. He had no mercy on other planes in the pattern.

The next landed at an aerospace manufacturer beside I 270, near Gaithersburg. I took a look at that one, and saw a copy of that days Wall Street Journal on the back seat. This was at 9 AM. The security guard told me they had an ILS installed, and the ceiling was under 500 feet when it came in. The runway was 300 feet long.

The third time was much like the first, but with a twist. Small town airport, called straight in from 10 miles out, repeated at 5 miles, and 2 miles. The Helio was flying the normal pattern, and was practicing minimum speed landings, and hit the grass by the numbers. We were fine if he had stayed on the grass, but not with him on the runway. I had planned to touch down a few hundred feet beyond where he was on the grass. When he turned to the runway, full throttle, carb heat off, and start decreasing from 40 degrees flaps. We went over him at about 50 feet, level flight, gaining a safer airspeed. The second approach worked fine, he was waiting full of apologies for not having his radio on. He was the airport manager.

There is nothing quite like sharing the pattern with a Helio!
 
We have 2 at our little airport now. They are cool machines.
 
Well, I waited long enough. I see the early indications that this gonna turn into STOL internet battle-fun. Some of you figured I’d eventually post this link. Sorry, couldn’t help myself, lol. Merry Christmas y’all. (EDIT- I have never seen a Helio fly, so I don’t know if this is even a valid comparison).

A neighbor has a Wren. I see it every day and I'd like to try it out. Lots of wing candy on that one.

Re: the Kodiak video? I'm surprised at the speeds. I don't pull the first notch of flaps in my Cub until 40 mph. Final is 30 mph. Touchdown <25 mph. Lower the tail at 25 and it'll start to climb. Slat wing/double slotted flap Cubs are fun! Well, until the wind turns unfavorable. Then they suck, but the same is said for Helios.
 
The "aerospace manufacturer" on 270 near Germantown was Fairchild Space and Electronics back in the '70's. The plane they were flying there was a Fairchild built Pilatus Porter PC-6. At one point Fairchild was marketing it as the Heli porter. They were using it mostly for flying the big boss down from his place around Hagerstown. The Hagerstown factory up there was putting together A-10's. Sometimes when I was on lunch break I would be lucky enough to see that plane come in or leave. Think that 'runway' was about 300'. Usually when he landed it would stop in a couple of airplane lengths. The prop had a Beta mode that acted like throwing out a barn door on approach, and squat switches on the landing gear to put the prop into reverse when it hit the ground. Surreal. One of the pilots told me if an employee had a private license that they could check out in the plane!!?? Only a student back then;-(
 
Howard, I stand corrected, Fairchild Space and Electronics was the company, and the plane was the Pilatus Porter model. I remember the Beta feature of the prop, did not know it was interlocked with the squat switches. I just happened to be there at a nearby business when it came in.

That was my only time up there. Half a century does fog the memory some.

Some company wanted to institute a shuttle between College Park and Philadelphia with the Pilatus Porter, but the money guys were not convinced they would make money. Watching the Porter back out of the tie down at the ops building was neat.
 
The Helio certainly had some unique features but I think the one that really stands out visually is the main gear being forward of the firewall. That just plain don't look right and you'd think it would be a ground loop waiting to happen but I guess the fact that you can pretty much land it with the brakes locked mitigates that concern. I'm not sure how many are still in use as they have mostly been replaced with turbine powered Porters and Kodiacks due to avgas availability and aging airframes but the Helio could probably get into some tighter spots. They don't get infinitely rebuilt like Beavers so there may not be that many of them left.
 
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