Fairchild Hiller FH-1100
The Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 was a light turbine helicopter designed to challenge the Bell JetRanger market. It used a distinctive rigid rotor system and a spacious five-seat cabin, but never achieved the sales volume needed to sustain production. A number entered police and utility service, while the US Army evaluated a militarised version under the designation OH-5. Its short production run and small surviving fleet make it an uncommon sight even among classic turbine helicopters.
Did you know?
The FH-1100 used a rigid rotor system to compete with the Bell JetRanger, but never matched its sales and remains a rare sight today.
Specifications
| Length | 9.8 m (32 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 10.7 m (35 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 4 |
| Persons on board | 5 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.5 t |
| Range | 300 NM (556 km) |
| Maximum speed | 120 kt (222 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 14,000 ft (4,267 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 16,000 ft (4,877 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 260 l |
| Engines | 1x Allison 250-C20B |
| Units built | 253 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 starts as a Very rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Fairchild Hiller, the FH-1100 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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