Hiller UH-12 Raven standard observation helicopter
Young Stanley Hiller Jr flew his first helicopter, the coaxial-rotor XH-44, in August 1944. He then made a completely fresh start, with single main rotor with hanging control column, and, by way of UH-5 Commuter prototypes, perfected a patented Rotor-Matic control system with the cyclic stick connected not to the main blades but to short auxiliary blades set at 90° and rotating as part of the main rotor. The production development was designated Model 360, and this was simplified into the open-cockpit UH-12A which was evaluated in early 1950 by the US Army as the YH-23 (later given family name Raven) and by the Navy as the HTE-2.
Adopted as standard observation helicopter, the Army bought 100 H-23s with optional dual control and with equipment for carrying two stretcher casualties in external panniers. Five H-23As were sold to the USAF, while the Navy bought 16 HTE-1 trainers followed immediately by large batches of HTE-2s with quad landing gear or skids of which 20 were supplied by Mutual-Defence Aid to the Royal Navy. A batch of 273 H-23B for the Army had wheeled skids instead of tricycle gear, most going to the school at Ft Wolters. The H-23C (145 built) had three seats side-by-side, one-piece canopy, metal blades and a new hub. The Army then took 483 H-23Ds with more power and overhaul life increased from 600 to 1,000 hours. A batch of 22 H-23Fs were four-seaters, and the last model was the OH-23G with autostabilizer and a new rotor, bringing production to beyond 2,000 of which 24 went to Canada as CH-112 Nomads.
Hiller UH-12 Raven Specification
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