Helio Courier Aircraft

I am approaching eighty-five years of age. Until recently, I owned and flew one of the most unique STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft ever built. At the time it was in production, it was the most expensive single-engine plane on the market (costing twice as much as a Beechcraft Bonanza which was considered by many pilots to be the Cadillac of light aircraft.) Because of its cost, the U.S. military was its biggest customer, utilizing Helios in South Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia during that conflict for search and rescue, psychological warfare, low-level observation and transportation of essential materiel and personnel. No other plane, short of a helicopter, could handle these missions, and the Helio could do it at one tenth the cost, flying in and out of rough 500-foot strips hacked out of the jungle. Because of the danger it was exposed to due to the environment, not to mention enemy fire, many never made it back to the States, too seriously damaged to be repairable. Considering that only about six hundred of various models were built, it's not surprising that Helios are rare and much sought-after. What other plane, especially one weighing close to two tons gross and capable of carrying six passengers, can fly as slow as thirty-five miles and hour (slower than a Piper Cub) without stalling, even when making radical maneuvers? The secret of its amazing abilities is the array of high-lift devices incorporated in the wings, which would take too long to describe here. Another important feature of the Helio Courier is its safety, ensured not only by its ability to fly slowly, but by its nitrile rubber fuel cells that are much less likely to rupture in an accident, and its chromium-molybdenum steel tube cage surrounding the cabin, protecting the occupants much more than a flimsy aluminum monocoque fuselage could ever do. In fact, it is claimed that very few people have ever been killed in Helio crashes, except for controlled flight into terrain, i.e. crashing into a mountainside at cruising speed because of zero visibility, or ditching in the water with no flotation devices or rescue available. It is said that, if you are flying in cloud at night and suffer a complete engine and electrical failure, you can pull the yoke back in your gut, keep the wings level, and you will descend like a parachute to the ground...and survive! I could go on ad infinitum, but you get the idea.
NOW, the point of all the foregoing: Yesterday, I saw a photo of a very unique Helio. It was unique, because as far as I know, it's the only one in existence that has streamlined wheel fairings...and it was owned for a number of years by Luigi Chinetti, Jr. Nothing would please me more than to discuss with him some of his, and my, Helio experiences, but I have no idea how to reach him. If someone reading this knows how to reach him, or even knows someone else who knows how to contact him, I would be pleased to be informed.
To protect his privacy, if this is his wish, please give him my email address, and ask him if he would consider contacting me. It is "[email protected]." - without the quotation marks, needless to say. I also have owned some interesting cars, including a 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet "A", and a Porsche 356A Normal Coupe, among others. Unfortunately, no Ferraris!
Thanks very much,
David B. Keith

 

Juan-Manuel,

Thanks very much for your help in contacting Luigi Chinetti, Jr. I hope he chooses to email me! My friend Dave Maytag, who lives in Prescott, Arizona, had planned to put Helios back in production when the economy improved sufficiently...but was in a tragic accident that left him a paraplegic and ended those plans. He had already obtained the type certificates, PMA's (Parts Manufacturing Authorizations), and a big stockpile of parts obtained from many different sources. He had also acquired two taildragger Helios, converted them to tricycle gear (ugh!) and installed Walter turboprop engines, all for the Pima County (AZ) Sheriff's Department. Their pilots, it seems, were too inept to fly "real" airplanes! Prior to that, he removed the Lycoming GO-480 from another, and replaced it with a Medveyev 9-cylinder radial of 360 horsepower, as used on Sukhoi unlimited aerobatic aircraft . It was a wonderful marriage, but Dave needed even more power, which led logically to a turboprop. Because the Pratt & Whitney PT-6 was prohibitively expensive, the only alternative was the eastern European Walter gas turbine of roughly 600 shaft horsepower. Although I've never had the opportunity to fly one with anything but the GO-480, I'm sure that more than double its horsepower made a wonderful STOL airplane into a superlative one! I could go on, but in reading through prior contributions, I now realize that others have already provided you with most of the history and specs that I was prepared to offer.

I'm curious to know what your personal connection to Ferrari is. Have you owned/raced one or more? The only one I have ever driven was a 308 owned by a business colleague. The gated gearshift gave me trouble as I wasn't used to it. Truthfully, I much prefer the shifter on a Porsche 356A I once owned!

Dave