Gyrodyne DSN / QH-50 DASH
1958
The Gyrodyne DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) was a drone helicopter part of the US Navy Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program. Instead of building new frigates, the FRAM upgrade allowed World War II-era destroyers, which had little room for a new flight deck, to remain useful in modern naval warfare adding to them a stand-off weapon to attack out to the edge of the sonars range. the QH-50 was retired by the US Navy frontline ships in 1969 and a handful of QH-50Ds ramain with the US Army for testing/ drone use at White Sands until 1997. The shipborne variant remain in Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force service until 1977
The U.S. Navy's Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program was a major Cold War initiative launched in the late 1950s to extend the service life and enhance the combat capabilities of hundreds of aging destroyers and escort vessels. Rather than building entirely new warships, the Navy modernized existing ships with upgraded sensors, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) systems, electronics, and weapons. One of the most innovative elements of the program was the introduction of the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter), an unmanned rotorcraft capable of carrying torpedoes far beyond the range of shipboard weapons. By combining ship modernization with emerging aviation technologies, FRAM enabled the U.S. Navy to maintain a powerful ASW force during a period of rapid Soviet submarine expansion while controlling procurement costs.
Derivatives & Versions
| DSN-1 / QH-50A | 1958 | Powered by a single 72 HP Porsche engine, the DNS-1 was the droned version of Gyrodynes optimized XRON-1 Rotorcycle which had a 20 rotor diameter. |
| DSN-2 / QH-50B | 1958 | After initial success with the 9 DNS-1 prototypes, the Navy ordered three Aircraft [N-200 to N-202] under Contract NOas 59-0219-c, Amendment 1. |
| DSN-3 / QH-50C | 1960 | This was the initial production version of the DASH helicopter featuring a single Boeing T50-BO-8 gas-turbine engine and the ability to carry two Mk. |
| QH-50D | 1966 | This was the definitive production version with a more modern Boeing T50-BO-12 engine, rated at 330 BHP. |
| QH-50D Nite Panther | 1968 | Experimental targeting and spotting drone for USMC. |
| QH-50E | 1969 | The Navy asked Gyrodyne to develop an Allison powered YQH-50E when Boeing ceased building its 365 shp model 550-1 turbo-shaft engine (military designation T50-BO-12) in April 1968. |
Operators
| 1960-1971 |  US Navy |
| 1966-1977 |  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |