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Mc Donnell Douglas






Mc Donnell Factory :  Santa Monica, 1922
Product of the join of the companies founded by James S. McDonnell and Donald W. Douglas , Mc Donnell Douglas was a leader manufacturer in commercials, military, helicopters and space aircrafts. The WW II 's C-47/DC-3, the military jets A-4 Skyhawk, F-4 Phantom, AV-8 Harrier, F-15 Eagle, F-18 Hornet, and the DC family of civilian jets are examples of the success of this corporation.
Mc Donnell Douglas was great involved in the helicopter market when in 1984 acquired the Hughes Helicopters Company founded by Howard Hughes .

Notice : The helicopter 's history of Mc Donnell Douglas is being considered in this page with the early firms Mc Donnell and Hughes.


  • April 27, 1946 : Mc Donnell Whirlaway (XHJD-1)

    The first helo of the company was designed for the US Navy.
    The engine were 2 Pratt & Whitney R-985 of 450 Hp each
    One unit built.
    See Platt-LePage XR-1 in Pioneers
    XHJD-1


  • May 5, 1947 : Mc Donnell "Little Henry" (XH-20)

    First world's ram-jet helicopter It was powered with ram-jets mounted at the tips of the rotor blades.
    It had no tail rotor and weighed only 280 pounds.
    Was cancelled due the heavy consumption of fuel

    A proposed H-29 improved version was cancelled


  • August 1948 :
    Hughes acquired Kellett projects
  • 1952 : Hughes "Flying Crane" XH-17

    First project of the Hughes company, the XH-17 had a two-bladed main rotor system with a diameter of 40.8 m, and was capable of flying at a gross weight of more than 18600 kgs
    One unit built.

    The H-28 was a derivate with a max weight of 47.000 Kg but the program was cancelled and therefore none built.

  • July 14, 1954 : Mc Donnell Model 86 (XV-1) [H-35]

    Was a convertiplane compound helicopter for the US Army
    on April 29, 1955 : made the first successful conversion from vertical rotor lift to horizontal winged flight It engine was a Continental R-975 of 525 hp and was capable of reach a max speed of 322 km/h
    Two units built.


    First designation was H-35


  • 1956 : Hughes 200 / 269 / 300 (TH-55 Osage)
    First military aircraft production of the Hughes Company
    An observation version called YHO-2 was cancelled.
    792 units of the military Osage were built.

    See TH-55 Video Clip
    300C
    Rotor diameter: 8.18 m
    Length: 9.40 m
    Height: 2.67 m
    Weight: 480 kg - Max: 930
    Engine: 1 Avco Lycoming
    HIO-360 of 190 hp
    Speed: Max: 150 km/h
    Range: 370 km
    Service Ceiling: 3100 m


  • November 13, 1957 : Mc Donnell Model 120

    A private project of the company that uses the XV-1 concept, the model 120 was a flying crane that was also cancelled

  • February 27, 1963 :

    Hughes 369 Cayuse (OH-6) page


  • 1964 : Hughes "Hot Cycle" (XV-9)

    Was an experimental design, where the engine exhaust was ducted through the rotor hub and the blades, and expelled from the rotor tips.
    One unit built

  • 1966 : Hughes 500
    Commercial version of the OH-6 Cayuse
  • April 28, 1967
    Merger of
    McDonnell and Douglas

  • 1968 :
    Hughes OH-6 Cayuse 's peak production, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month.
  • August 1970
    Last deliveries of OH-6A, 1434 units completed.



    Continue
    Mc Donnell Douglas Helicopters Part II



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