Vertical Aviation Technologies to Display Unique Rotorcraft at OSH

EAA AirVenture 2023 will be graced by a beautiful Hummingbird 300L helicopter skillfully and exactingly built by Mr. Vic Syracuse of Locust Grove, Georgia’s Base Leg Aviation. The machine will be on static display from 24 through 30 July at Booths 277-285.

Mr. Syracuse and Vertical Aviation Technologies—makers of the Hummingbird kit—cordially invite AirVenture attendees, one and all, to drop by and inspect the helicopter’s IO-540 engine installation, Advanced Flight System AF-6600 glass panel, and the remainder of its thoughtful, practical, and forward-thinking appointments.

The aforementioned YH10-540-Exp373 engine is the first such powerplant designed specifically for the Hummingbird 300L helicopter and features a sixty-degree installation. The mill’s boosted performance derives of ported/polished cylinders, a weight matched rotating assembly, special rocker box covers with drains, an aerobatic sump, fuel injection, and electronic-ignition.

Upon the model’s 1991 release, the Hummingbird earned the distinction of being the first kit-built helicopter to receive FAA Type Certification.

Inspired by Sikorsky’s S-52 and produced by Sanford, Florida-based Vertical Aviation Technologies, the Hummingbird is simple in design, robust, easy to assemble, and a pleasure to fly. Moreover, the machine’s acquisition and operating costs are significantly lower than those of comparably-capable factory-built rotorcraft.

The Hummingbird’s fuselage is made from riveted aluminum sheet; the aircraft’s nose section is patterned after that of Bell’s storied 206. Overhead, the Hummingbird’s three-blade main-rotor employs a NACA 0015 airfoil. The plucky little helicopter has an empty weight of 1,790-pounds, a gross weight of 2,800-pounds, and—by simple mathematics—a useful load of  1,010-pounds. Fueled to its 57-gallon (U.S.) capacity, the Hummingbird’s payload is 668-pounds.

Vertical Aviation Technologies president Brad Clark asserted: “It is important to note that the Hummingbird was designed to be a Type Certificate helicopter, so this is a real advantage over conventional kits.”

Mr. Clark added: “This helicopter went through stringent FAA certification, engineering and endurance testing, and has established a proven history over the years with no inherent problems with the design.”

Vertical Aviation Technologies has a protracted history of helicopter manufacturing, modifications, and FAA certification programs.

FMI: www.vertical-aviation.com