c/n 559, N-reg ntu

[Doug Johnson]

11 pictures check your albums. Please do an internet search maybe you'll come up with one I couldn't find, I need all the help I can get.

Previous posts about  PP-ZVJ or anything click on      http://flyhelio.com/smf/index.php?action=search     Enter ?

c/n 559, built 04/62 as L-28A, s/n 62-5919 for USAF, accepted 05/62, t/n “62-5919”, USAF Tactical Air Command, 1^st Air Commando Group Eglin Air Force Base FL L-28A re designated U-10A, equipment change to U-10B 02/63, Eglin until 05/67, USAF Southern Command, 24^th Special Operations Wing, 605^th Air Commando Squadron, Howard AFB, Panama Canal Zone until '?, USAF West Virginia Air National Guard, 130^th Special Operations Group, Charleston ANG Base, West Virginia until '?, USAF Special Operations Command, 1^st Special Operations Wing, 317^th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #9 (Hurlburt Field), FL (Code AO) until 10/71, USAF Air Materiel Command, Military Aircraft Storage & Disposition Center, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ  until 11/74, USAF declared excess, struck off charge & released from storage at Davis-Monthan AFB 03/75, as N88726 US Customs Air Support Branch NAS North Island, San Diego CA sold '75, Malheur County Dept of Emergency Serv, OR sold '82, Jim Perry OR reconfigured as H-395 placed in experimental category for testing propellers then installed Allison 420 hp continuous 250-B17C Turbine Engine, with McCauley X3AFR34C800 propeller becoming model H-420T sold '88, Flying Barnyard inc CT, 09/88 placed in experimental exhibition category, spotted in Geneva Switzerland 10/88, sold '93, export by International Aircraft Sales Leasing Port Charlotte FL as PP-ZVJ Jose Da Silva, SBJR (Jacarépaguá, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), (FAA advised) sold '05, dereg export USA Morgan Perry (Straelea Air) Arlington, WA installed Allison B-17-F2 (450 SHP) coverted to a H-450T, N-reg ntu yet                 for sale $450K




below as N88726

[Doug Johnson]

1^st pic added above in Military U-10B configuration

Anyone know where this Helio is actually located.

[Doug Johnson 1]

Here is a photo sent to me by Stephen Ruby. C/n 559 was returned to the US in '05. I looked up the s/n in the FAA files and it shows up under International Aircraft Sales Leasing Port Charlotte FL the entity that exported it to Brazil. The registry N88726 shows it as still de-registered. Apparently it was not registered when the a/c returned to the US.

Stephen says he believes the a/c is owned by Jim Perry once again and is located in WA state somewhere.

[Doug Johnson 1]

Just discovered something interesting about the picture above that I just posted. I also found it at Flkr pictures and
the photo caption says taken by Jean-Luc ALTHERR at GVA (Geneva Switzerland), October 24. 1988
Jean-Luc  says most probably the only sample ever to have landed at Geneva, but at least the sole example I have ever seen in my spotting life

Interesting that while still owned by Flying Barnyard inc CT, it shows up in Switzerland and it doesn't have the 12" N registry marking or any registry mark at all. The caption appears to indicate it landed but has no registry marks unless they were removed just before the picture. I think a picture at Oshkosh before it was sold to Flying Barnyard inc had small 2" N88726 and no paint. found the picture but I cant see a registry mark. must have gotten the registry from the photo caption.

Does anyone have the story behind this.

opened photo above

[Doug Johnson 1]

I went to the Straelea Air site and discovered that it's founder and operator is Morgan Perry located in Arlington, WA

Bunch of pictures there of what I believe would or should be called a Helio model H-450T   https://www.stratusaero.us/helio-turbinecourier?fbclid=IwAR2fhUk655SFiPtwVnJ5CePURWBAEH25dM-ZRUxmAaPsBpzDC5c0Vm2UjZk

or E-mail them for more details at morgan@stratusaero.us or call +1.206.335.7710.

I'll pick out four of the pictures and add them to this post, these are recent photos of how it currently looks. and will open them at the bottom of the queue above

I didn't call them but I believe the goal is to have an STC that they will sell you for your airplane, but after rereading the add, maybe not.

[StaticThrust]

Came across another photo of #559 and got permission from the photographer (John Visanich) to post the photo here.

[Au Miner]

I would assume that this is the correct airplane. 

https://www.barnstormers.com/classified-1792174-Helio-Turbine-H-395.html

[StaticThrust]

Yes that is it. With any luck, someone on this site will pick it up and finish it.