Hughes 369D

11 aircraft

The Hughes 500, a compact turbine-powered helicopter that emerged from the winning design of the U.S. Army's 1965 Light Observation Helicopter competition, revolutionized both military reconnaissance and civilian rotorcraft operations. First flown on February 27, 1963, as the Model 369 prototype, it featured a single Allison 250 turboshaft engine and seated up to five occupants in its distinctive egg-shaped fuselage. With a main rotor diameter of 26 feet 4 inches and capable of speeds exceeding 150 mph, the aircraft was manufactured by Hughes Helicopters in Culver City, California.