Helio U-10D Courier
After the end of World War II, the general aviation market returned to prominence, and grew--now there were thousands of former pilots who might enjoy an aircraft of their own. The war had also opened up Alaska and the more remote areas of Canada; "bush" pilots needed a good, reliable light aircraft that could land in all conditions, on very short runways.
Two aircraft designers, Otto Koppen and Lynn Bollinger, founded the Koppen-Bollinger Aircraft Company in 1948, for the express purpose of building a short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. The company's name was changed to the easier to market Helio name a few years later. Koppen's idea was a modified Piper PA-17, with a taller tail, larger flaps, and leading-edge wing slats, which would give his design superb STOL capability. For more cargo space, the fuselage was lengthened. With the final addition of a much more powerful engine, Koppen named his design the Heliopolis. It first flew in 1949. By the time production began in 1954, it had been renamed the Helio Courier. The Courier immediately found sales in the bush pilot community, and among missionaries in South America.
The USAF was interested as well. The Korean War proved that there was a need for aircraft that could operate away from airfields, in often very small landing zones. Though helicopters were coming into their own, the USAF still bought 120 L-28As as light transports; these could carry cargo and passengers, or evacuate casualties. With a stall speed of only 28 mph, it could drop into areas no other fixed-wing aircraft could reach. In 1962, the L-28 was designated U-10, though it kept the Courier name.
By the time the United States began to get involved in the Vietnam War, the USAF and US Army were both operating the U-10D Super Courier, a version with an uprated engine and longer range. Their short field landing capability was very valuable in Southeast Asia, and U-10s were not only used as light transports and liasion aircraft, but also as psychological warfare aircraft--the latter dropped leaflets and were equipped with speakers. The speakers could exhort Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers to defect, or demoralize them with Buddhist funeral dirges and terrifying ghost noises, usually played at earsplitting volume. The U-10 was very vulnerable to ground fire, but it could be used in low threat areas. A few were used in Laos as forward air control (FAC) aircraft, often by the CIA's "airline," Air America.
Though production of the Courier ended in the early 1980s, the aircraft remains popular with bush pilots. The USAF and Army retired their Couriers not long after the end of the Vietnam War, and a few of these have made their way into the hands of collectors as warbirds. Roughly 500 were built.
Built as a U-10B, 63-3096 had something of a rare career--it was built for the Air National Guard and then served with the active duty USAF. 63-3096 entered service with the 129th Air Commando Group (California ANG) at Hayward as a general duties aircraft in 1965. It was later transferred to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, possibly as a trainer; it does not appear to have been deployed to Vietnam. 63-3096 was also upgraded to a U-10D with a more powerful engine.
It was retired in 1973, but acquired by the USAF for possible display at the National Museum of the USAF. As the NMUSAF then acquired a U-10 that had served in Vietnam, 63-3096 was surplus to the NMUSAF's needs and was moved to the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, Georgia, as Robins had done overhaul work for the USAF's fleet of Couriers. Transferred in 1987, it went on display in 1990.
63-3096 is painted in USAF Southeast Asia colors and is part of the Museum of Aviation's Vietnam display. It is posed over reproduction revetments and Conex boxes.
Helio U-10D Courier
After the end of World War II, the general aviation market returned to prominence, and grew--now there were thousands of former pilots who might enjoy an aircraft of their own. The war had also opened up Alaska and the more remote areas of Canada; "bush" pilots needed a good, reliable light aircraft that could land in all conditions, on very short runways.
Two aircraft designers, Otto Koppen and Lynn Bollinger, founded the Koppen-Bollinger Aircraft Company in 1948, for the express purpose of building a short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. The company's name was changed to the easier to market Helio name a few years later. Koppen's idea was a modified Piper PA-17, with a taller tail, larger flaps, and leading-edge wing slats, which would give his design superb STOL capability. For more cargo space, the fuselage was lengthened. With the final addition of a much more powerful engine, Koppen named his design the Heliopolis. It first flew in 1949. By the time production began in 1954, it had been renamed the Helio Courier. The Courier immediately found sales in the bush pilot community, and among missionaries in South America.
The USAF was interested as well. The Korean War proved that there was a need for aircraft that could operate away from airfields, in often very small landing zones. Though helicopters were coming into their own, the USAF still bought 120 L-28As as light transports; these could carry cargo and passengers, or evacuate casualties. With a stall speed of only 28 mph, it could drop into areas no other fixed-wing aircraft could reach. In 1962, the L-28 was designated U-10, though it kept the Courier name.
By the time the United States began to get involved in the Vietnam War, the USAF and US Army were both operating the U-10D Super Courier, a version with an uprated engine and longer range. Their short field landing capability was very valuable in Southeast Asia, and U-10s were not only used as light transports and liasion aircraft, but also as psychological warfare aircraft--the latter dropped leaflets and were equipped with speakers. The speakers could exhort Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers to defect, or demoralize them with Buddhist funeral dirges and terrifying ghost noises, usually played at earsplitting volume. The U-10 was very vulnerable to ground fire, but it could be used in low threat areas. A few were used in Laos as forward air control (FAC) aircraft, often by the CIA's "airline," Air America.
Though production of the Courier ended in the early 1980s, the aircraft remains popular with bush pilots. The USAF and Army retired their Couriers not long after the end of the Vietnam War, and a few of these have made their way into the hands of collectors as warbirds. Roughly 500 were built.
Built as a U-10B, 63-3096 had something of a rare career--it was built for the Air National Guard and then served with the active duty USAF. 63-3096 entered service with the 129th Air Commando Group (California ANG) at Hayward as a general duties aircraft in 1965. It was later transferred to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, possibly as a trainer; it does not appear to have been deployed to Vietnam. 63-3096 was also upgraded to a U-10D with a more powerful engine.
It was retired in 1973, but acquired by the USAF for possible display at the National Museum of the USAF. As the NMUSAF then acquired a U-10 that had served in Vietnam, 63-3096 was surplus to the NMUSAF's needs and was moved to the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, Georgia, as Robins had done overhaul work for the USAF's fleet of Couriers. Transferred in 1987, it went on display in 1990.
63-3096 is painted in USAF Southeast Asia colors and is part of the Museum of Aviation's Vietnam display. It is posed over reproduction revetments and Conex boxes.