Classic Hughes

[Savoia]

Birds of Prey

This video pieces together some of the flying scenes from the 1973 movie 'Birds of Prey' which starred David Janssen as a former American Volunteer Group pilot working as a radio station pilot/reporter who becomes involved in chasing down 'baddies' after witnessing an armored robbery where the suspects flee in a Lama helicopter.

If you think there are too many similarities between this movie and 'Deadly Encounter' (1982) then don't be surprised, as both movies were written and directed by the same duo namely, Robert Boris and William Graham. However whereas Larry Kirsch flew the Hughes 500 scenes in Deadly Encounter, in Birds of Prey the 500 was flown by James 'Jim' Gavin.

Birds of Prey was one of Jim's favourite projects and about which he once said: "We took the helicopter out of its normal environment, put it in the city streets and did all the work with Janssen in flight for real. In fact, since he was a pilot Janssen did a lot of the flying, and I'd sit opposite him." (Flying Magazine, June 1988) Gavin would later go on to fly in the making of Blue Thunder.

Those were the days!


Hughes 500C N9103F (cn 52-0378S) wearing Salt Lake City 'KBEX' radio station livery being flown by Jim Gavin during the filming of 'Birds of Prey' in 1972

[Savoia]

GdF


BredaNardi NH500M (369HM) GdiF-55 (122-0227M) of Italy's Guardia di Finanza as seen off the coast of Luqa, Malta on 9th July 1992 (Photo: Ivan Azzopardi)

[Savoia]

Royal Danish Army


Royal Danish Army Air Service (Hærens Flyvetjeneste) Hughes 369M H-213 (cn 71-0213M) as seen in flight over Denmark on 7th June 2005 (Photo: Jan Jørgensen)

[Savoia]

G-HEWZ


Hughes 500C (369HS) G-HEWZ (cn 940649S) as seen at White Waltham on 14th August 2016 (Photo: Steve Lynes)

[Savoia]

C-GSZM


West Cost Helicopters Hughes 500D C-GSZM as seen at Gold River, Vancouver Island BC, on 8th June 2016 (Photo: Bill Campbell)

[Savoia]

During my time in PNG I was surrounded by Kiwis who rarely ceased speaking about their deer recovery antics; and when they weren't talking about deer recovery, then they were watching it .. on well worn video cassettes which they had brought with them from Kiwiland. God bless 'em!

Well well, what do you know .. one of these very videos to which I made reference in the above post from the previous page, has appeared online. This was a short film (just 12 mins) made in 1980 featuring an Alpine Helicopters 500D 'HMB' flown by Doug Maxwell. How I should like to track down some of the other videos the Kiwis use to inflict upon me! One, so I recall, involved a 500 flying through a naturally formed rock 'archway'.

This video doesn't get into the 'high antics' of deer hunting but has some pleasant shots nonetheless. I doubt whether we shall ever see anything quite like that which took place in the 70's and 80's with these deer hunters and their 500's.

Enjoy!

[Savoia]

Hughes 500 Racing

[Savoia]

For 500 Fan


OH-6A N239MY (cn. 1132) as seen at Kilrush Aifield Co. Kildare on 26th May 2017 (Photo: Ian McGarrigle)

[Savoia]

500E+


Aka the 500 'Special'

[Savoia]

Hughes 500C ZK-HQH engaged in live deer capture in the 1970's


Hughes 500C N5FC seen during power boat racing

[Savoia]

Viking Helicopters Hughes 500D C-GRYI (19-0444D) Nym Lake, Ontario, Canada 12th July 1988 (Photo: Robert Arnold)

[Savoia]

Hughes 500D G-DIGZ (cn 1111D) as seen at Denham Aerodrome on 14th December 2017 (Photo: Brian Nichols)

[Savoia]

Hughes 500D I-SHRA (71-1017D) as seen at Corvara, Bolzano, Italia in February 1991

The Christmas Hughes


Hughes 500D N725M aka 'The Christmas Hughes'

[500 Fan]

Does anyone know the identity of the first Hughes 500 to be registered in the UK? I think it might be G-AXEJ but not 100% sure. Thanks.

500 Fan.

[Savoia]

Does anyone know the identity of the first Hughes 500 to be registered in the UK? I think it might be G-AXEJ but not 100% sure. Thanks.

500 Fan.

The first ten (in sequence) 500's I have as being delivered to the UK are as follows:

• G-AYNK: Denissimo took delivery of this craft and was also involved (at various stages) with G-BDKL and G-BDOY and probably all ten if I were to ask him!
• G-BBXF: This was owned by the late Gerry Hill, who's son participated on the original Nostalgia Thread.
• G-BDKL: I flew this craft a number of times when she was G-HSKY.

G-BDOY sees the last of the in-sequence 'C' models to be replaced the following year by the delightful 'D' model:

• G-BEJY (May 1977)
• G-BESS (May 1977)
• G-BFAY (October 1977)
• G-BFYJ (August 1978)
• G-GOGO (December 1978)

It is the out-of-sequence registrations which one has to watch out for when it comes to ordering the deliveries.

There were of course addition 'C' models registered from that time period, including G-FROG (April 1981), G-BKTK (June 1983) and others.

500 Fan: You've got to help me understand Hughes' construction number methodology, because it looks as if they asked their receptionist to think up numbers in between answering calls, I mean there's no parity between them except for mostly ending with an 'S'!



G-AXEJ


Air Gregory Hughes 500C 369HS G-AXEJ as seen at RAF Chivenor on 23rd August 1969 (Photo: RA Scholefield)

One of the earliest shots of 'EJ', seen here four months after her delivery to Air Gregory.

[Helipixman]

Another one I flew in G-AXEJ Battersea Heliport to a farmers field in Bedfordshire for a demo ?

Helipixman

[Savoia]

Bravo Elipix, you've got some nice UK heli-history!

[Helipixman]

First 10 Out of sequence Hughes registrations were afaik....

G-GOGO (D) 19.12.78 Sloane Helicopters Ltd for AW Alloys Ltd
G-HOOK (D) 4.8.80 Auto Alloys (Helicopters) Ltd
G-PENI (D) 26.2.81 Yewlands Engineering Ltd
G-FROG (HS) 15.4.81 Keith Sutcliffe & Sons Ltd
G-HEWS (D) 13.5.81 John Carroll Construction Ltd
G-IDWR (HS) 26.5.81 Ryburn Air Ltd
G-WELD (HS) 26.11.81 Uniweld Ltd
G-OAIM (HS) 16.7.82 John E Clarke & Co (Bournemouth) Ltd
G-SOOD (D) 30.7.82 Southern Air Ltd
G-KSBF (D) 18.11.82 Ken Stokes (Business Forms) Ltd

Have photos of all of them and will dig some out a post later in week.
Helipixman

[Helipixman]

Here are photos of each of the first 5 out-of-sequence Hughes 500s












all from the Helipixman collection

[Helipixman]

and the next five Hughes 500s











all from Helipixman collection

[500 Fan]

Thanks for all the info in relation to the early 500s in the UK and those great photos. I think G-KSBF also flew in Ireland with Irish Helicopters. There have only been four 500s registered in Ireland, oddly enough, given this helicopter's popularity elsewhere. Quite a few N-reg 500s arrived during the economic boom in the 2,000's but few remain.

I have been trying to collate all the "1st" 500's to be delivered in each country, globally. The very first 500 delivered to a customer, a Hughes 500M delivered to the "Fuerza Aerea Colombiana", still flies but is due for retirement very soon. If it stays in service until the 23rd of April this year, it'll be a "50 Year" airframe!

The Hughes serial system is a bit confusing. I think I might have instructions saved somewhere on how exactly you break down the information contained in each serial.

590102E, the serial for G-AYNK, is broken down thus (if I recall correctly);
The "5" refers to the month of construction or, probably, completion of manufacture - in this case May.
The next digit, 9, refers to the year of construction, 1969.
"0102E" indicates that this is the second "Executive" version, the Hughes 369HE, to be constructed. However, why it is "0102" instead of "0002" is beyond me.

Trying to identify the year for the early 70's ships in the serial can also be a little confusing but generally, the last three digits will indicate how far into the production run a given airframe is and an educated guess can then allow identification of the year.

500 Fan.

[Helipixman]

You are correct 500 Fan it did go to Ireland...

G-KSBF was re-registered as G-ITUP before going to Ireland as EI-BYV. It then went to Turkey as TC-HMC before ending its days in South Korea as HL9139

[Savoia]

Aviafora is pleased to present

its Golden Camera Award to

Elipix

for his wonderful collection of Classic Hughes photos





Bravo Elipix !!!

[Savoia]

Alistair MacKinnon's Hughes 500D (369D) G-DIGZ (cn.1111D) as seen at Denham Aerodrome on 14th March 2018
(Photo: Brian Nichols)

[joe gazelle]

Some C models from my collection.

[Helipixman]

Some great shots from Joe Gazelle. Keep them coming

Helipixman

[Savoia]

Great stuff Joe, much appreciated!

[500 Fan]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into service of the very first production Hughes 500, a 500M (FAC4241) that was delivered to the Fuerza Aerea Colombiana on the 23rd of April 1968. I believe it is still airworthy and in service with the FAC but is slated for retirement shortly. It probably has about 10,000 hours accumulated so it isn't a high-time airframe but 50 years of continuous service is impressive nonetheless. Howard would be proud of his little egg!

[Savoia]

Great stuff 500F! 50 years of service is a fine achievement for any aircraft, let alone a half-century in military service from a first-gen turbine ship!

I'm still searching for a photo of Howard with a 500.

[Savoia]

I couldn't find an image of FAC4241, but I did find a shot of one of her sister ships 4255:


Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (Colombian Air Force) Hughes 500 FAC4255 (Photo: Javier Topper)

Here's a shot of some Argentinian 500's


(Photo: Mauricio Chiofalo)

The white craft could be a mediship similar to how BATUS in Canada recently converted one or more Gazelles to be able to carry a stretcher.

I think you wanted some more shots of 5Y-BDP:



Seen here in what 'may' have been her final colour scheme.

And something a little more recent:


Japanese Army OH-6D 31279 (6591) as seen at Nagoya Komaki Airport on 3rd March 2018

[Helipixman]

FAC 4241

Is this the 500 you are looking for a photo of ? Found on AviationPress website. http://www.aviationpress.co.uk/



Hope this helps... Helipixman

[Savoia]

Ha ha .. ah Elipix! You have an absolute gift to be able to find 'unfindable' blitterblats!

Bravo!

[500 Fan]

That's her alright. Thanks for the pic.

500 Fan.

[500 Fan]

Hi Sav. Although his first love was always the airplane, Howard took a keen interest in the fortunes of the OH-6/500. He desperately wanted one of his designs to make it into service with the U.S. Air Force or Army and the OH-6A finally delivered that covetted contract. Apparently he was often present on the ramp at Culver City during the early development of the OH-6, discussing the helicopter with the test pilots and engineers. One further story I heard, that I hope is true, is that during his residency at the Desert Inn penthouse in Las Vegas in the late 1960's, Howard requested that the 500 team at Culver City fly a prototype over to Las Vegas from tme to time. The pilot would then hover outside Howard's window so that he could look over his last great design! This little story sounds outlandish but it was Howard Hughes remember, so maybe it isn't beyond the realms of possibility!

[Savoia]

Wow, what a great story.

Let us see whether in times ahead we are able to acquire a copy of a photo of Howard with a 500, if indeed such a photo exists.

[Savoia]

For 500 Fan

Something a little different:

Guardia di Finanza NH500MD

Landing on water, on the sea specifically and a running landing at that, requires a certain amount of caution.

Of course the very 'best' 500's were those built by Breda-Nardi!

OH-6 Cayuse


OH-6A (perhaps in Ireland) in April 2018

500F, can you say something about this craft. Has she just been repainted? Is she still in Ireland?

Now that she is in these colours will she be attending airshows?

[500 Fan]

Yes, looks like she has received a new paint scheme. It is difficult to get the colours to match the original shade of Olive Drab now that it is long out of use but maybe they were going for 'Little Bird Black'. There are so many attractive Hughes factory paint schemes from the early days of the 500 that would have looked perfect on the OH-6A.

[500 Fan]

It is confirmed. FAC4241 makes it to 50 years service with the Colombian Air Force!!!

No celebratory paint scheme, sadly!

Colombian Air Force Celebrates 50 Years of Operations with the Hughes 500



Members of Colombia's 4th Combat Air Command led by Commander Luis René Rojas, celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hughes 500 with FAC 4241

http://www.webinfomil.com/2018/04/fu...ra-los-50.html

500 Fan.

[Savoia]

Great stuff 500! Nice to see this event commemorated and for another chance to see this rare bird.

[Savoia]

H500D G-HOOK (70-0708D) as seen at Farnborough in 1980 (Photo: Barry Friend)