Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Light utility helicopter

Power Plant:

One 236 kw (317 shp) Allison 250-C-18 turboshaft de-rated to 204 kw (274 shp)

Specifications:

History:

The Fairchild-Hiller FH-1100 was the first American, light, turbine-powered helicopter to be offered on the commercial market. It evolved from the Company’s OH-5A, which had been an unsuccessful contestant in the United States Army’s competition for a light observation helicopter.

Construction began in May 1962 and the first flight of the prototype was made on 26 January 1964. Deliveries commenced in June 1966.

The FH-1100 had hydraulically-boosted cyclic and collective pitch controls. It was test flown in level flight at 357 km/h (160 mph), but maximum turbine efficiency cruise and red-line speeds were identical at 206 km/h (128 mph).

The FH-1100 was suitable for a wide range of civil and military duties. When used as an ambulance, a pilot, two stretcher patients and an attendant could be carried. In March 1969 a reverse scoop inlet was developed for the aircraft to permit operations in snow conditions. At the same time a system was developed to re-ignite the engine in the event of a flame-out.

Normal accommodation was for five: a pilot and passenger side-by-side in the front and three passengers in the rear. A baggage compartment, which was situated under the engine deck, had a capacity of 68 kg (150 lb).

One of the earliest operators of the type was the Royal Thai Police to which a number of FH-1100s was supplied and they were to be used by border police and military services.

In late 1967 an FH-1100 made a demonstration tour of Australia, visiting Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Broken Hill and Brisbane, being sponsored by Flight Facilities Pty Ltd of Sydney, the machine being shown to a number of Australian commercial operators and the armed services.

At least four examples of the type were registered in Australia. The first two examples operated with Helicopter Utilities as VH-UTB³ (c/n 17) and VH-UTZ² (c/n 19 – ex N522FH). They arrived in Sydney in November 1966 and were assembled and test flown at Mascot, NSW. They were then conveyed to Melbourne, VIC where International Helicopters of Moorabbin, VIC carried out maintenance. They were then to be conveyed to the polar ship ‘MV Nella Dan’ but both suffered damage during the truck journey and had to be repaired. On 27 December they were test flown and flew on to the deck of the vessel which sailed later that day from Port Melbourne. They returned to Melbourne in March 1967.  In the Antarctic they were based on board the polar ship.

VH-UTB³ was registered on 8 December 1966 and crashed at Nomad River, PNG on 8 October 1972. VH-UTZ² was exported to Fiji in February 1973 where it was operated as DQ-FBZ. It was restored to the Australian Civil Aircraft Register on 10 February 1977 but suffered an accident at Hoxton Park, NSW and was exported, becoming N1100R in the United States.

Two operated on the West Irian and Papua New Guinea border. They were also used on survey work in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. One was operated out of Gladstone, QLD on oil drilling work on the Great Barrier Reef.

In January 1968, the ‘MV Nella Dan” left again for the Antarctic with three FH-1100s on board, to be again used to assist in the ferrying of personnel and supplies to a base from the ship, this being necessary when the vessel was caught in a heavy ice pack 145 km (90 miles) from the base. On this occasion the machines operated by Helicopter Utilities were: VH-UTZ² (c/n 19), VH-UHD (c/n 49 – ex N549FH), and VH-UHE² (c/n 51 – ex N751FH, N751F). VH-UHD was registered on 22 December 1967 but crashed at Mt Otto, PNG on 12 May 1970. The wreck was exported and rebuilt as N5024K. VH-UHE² was registered on 30 December 1967 but crashed at Mt Kenevi in New Guinea on 8 September 1969. It was rebuilt and became DQ-FBU on 15 September 1972 but was damaged again on 16 December 1972 at Waivaka, Fiji.

During 1968 Helicopter Utilities operated four FH-1100s on survey, offshore drill rig support work, and other charter work. In 1976 Sydney television station Channel 7 operated an FH-1100 for news gathering, this being painted in the colours of ‘Airfast – National News’. Two were stored at Bankstown, NSW in the eighties. In mid 1980 it was announced the type would be placed back into producing using new technology and a later model Allison 250 turbine engine.

A number of examples have been seen in New Zealand and they were the first turbine helicopters in New Zealand when they arrived in late 1967. Those registered have included ZK-HBT (c/n 34), registered in May 1967, was leased to Luggate Game Packers but crashed and was destroyed by fire at Luggate in June 1968.

ZK-HCI (c/n 74 – ex N374FH) had a number of accidents, first at Waipukurau in June 1968, in the Kaweka Ranges in October 1969, at Fox Glacier in February 1977, and at Chancellor Shelf in October 1978, being withdrawn from use in May 1991. It was repaired and restored to the register in December 1995.

ZK-HEG (c/n 169 – ex N557F) was operated by Winged Hunters Ltd for, amongst other things, the recovery of deer carcasses in the mountains as part of the New Zealand venison export industry, eventually being withdrawn from use in May 1991. ZK-HEG was also operated by Alexander Helicopters, being based at the Surf Life Saving Headquarters on the west coast. It was test flown on 11 November 1972 and was the first helicopter approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to be used as a helicopter ambulance in New Zealand, being able to carry two patients on stretchers and a medical attendant.

ZK-HJA (c/n 239 – ex N5072F) of Winged Hunters Ltd, which crashed at Bruce Bay in March 1980, and ZK-HCI (c/n 74) were also operated for a period by Godwin McNutt at Fox Glacier on charter and tourists flights.

Others have included: ZK-HKN (c/n 158) of Sowersby Engineering of Hastings; ZK-HHW (c/n 0560) of Winged Hunters of Canterbury; and ZK-HEL (c/n 95 – ex ZK-HEJ [ntu], N9055, CF-WMN) operated by Alexander Helicopters, which crashed at Fox Glacier in November 1975.

In 2001 two ex-Chilean FH-1100s were imported to New Zealand, one (c/n 211 – ex CC-CHI, HP-516, N5041F) becoming ZK-HXF. The other (c/n 247) was at one stage expected to become ZK-HXG but this did not occur and it was used for parts to keep other machines in service, eventually being delivered to the Ferrymead Aviation Collection at Christchurch for restoration and display.

Under development in the United States for a period in the mid 1990s was the Rogerson Hiller RH-1100S, this being developed by Hiller Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Rogerson Aircraft Corporation. The new machine was described as a seven-seat helicopter based on the FH-1100, having a lengthened and widened cabin, and featuring an LCD instrument display. This machine was exhibited at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget and in the light attack variant was known as the RH-1100M Hornet, which was capable of carrying four tube-launched optically-tracked wire-guided (TOW) anti-armour missiles, or a mix of 40 mm grenade launchers, 7.62 mm (0.30 in) or 12.7 mm (0.50 in) gun pods or folding-fin rocket pods.