The Hiller OH-23 Raven was a light observation helicopter based on the Hiller Model 360. The Model 360 was designated by the company as the UH-12 (UH for United Helicopters), which was first flown in 1948. Stanley Hiller designed his first helicopter at the age of 15, and built and flew his first helicopter, the Hiller XH-44, when he was aged 19. With the help of shipping mogul Henry Kaiser, Hiller established the United Helicopters company in 1946. In 1947, United Helicopters developed the Model 360X, the prototype that would become the basis for the H-23. A year later, on 14 October 1948 the CAA issued a production certificate for the Model 360. United Helicopters began producing the Model 360 as the UH-12. In 1949, the UH-12 became the first helicopter to make a transcontinental flight from California to New York. When Hiller upgraded the engine and the rotor blades, the company designated the new model the UH-12A. It was the UH-12A that would be adopted by both the French and United States militaries, as well as being used by civil commercial operators in several countries. Hiller Helicopter, headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, would later partner with Lockheed to develop and manufacture top secret spy satellites for the CIA and U.S. military.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 00:36:03 +0000
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