Classic Rotors Museum, Ramona Airport

There are many unique and fascinating airframes at this excellent museum. Unfortunately the large hangar is absolutely cram-packed, and, even by my standards, some aircraft were simply impossible to photograph, for example a very rare original Bell 47B-3 spray-chopper. Others were just about possible, so there are a few rather overcrowded or poorly-exposed shots among these photos, but I think they're better than nothing. We visited on 1st May.

Aircraft Reg'n Thumbs Notes
Adams-Wilson Hobbycopter 101 N9192Z 1958 Triumph-engined kit-built helicopter.
Bell HH-1N Iroquois 158256 403 Ex N441PA
Bensen (Kondra Copter) B-8M N1820  
Boeing Vertol HH-46E Sea Knight 157688 USMC ex N57688
Bolkow Bo102 Helitrainer None Only ever flown in tethered mode.
Convertawings Model A Quadrotor N63N World's first successful quadcopter capable of forward flight. Flew many times from 1956.
DuPont Aerospace DP-1C None Demonstrator of a jet-powered VTOL transport project. Made tethered unmanned flights in 2003.
Goodyear GA-400R-3 Gizmo N69N Light helicopter project - this version was collapsible for dropping to downed pilots.
Gyrodyne QH-50D DASH DS-1709 Last photo shows the control box for the ship-based 'pilot'.
Hiller 1094 CAMEL Unknown Collapsible Airborne Military Equipment Lifter - 16 of them could fit in a C-130.
Hiller H-23B Raven N7299 Ex Netherlands AF O-1
Hiller YH-32 (HU-1) Hornet N3955 US Army. Rotor-tip ramjets had very high fuel consumption and noise.
Hughes 269A N8728F  
Hughes Ring Wing Vehicle (RWV)   VTOL recce drone project
Kaman H-43A Huskie N2856J (NR2856J) Ex USAF 58-1840
Kamov Ka-26 Hoodlum-A N4106H Ex Aeroflot CCCP-19617
Learjet 35 N506HL EX USAF C-21A 84-0076
McCulloch J-2 N4364G 1969 autogyro designed by Drago Jovanovich. At least 83 built.
McCulloch J-2 Unknown  
MD Helicopters MD 500N NOTAR '12917J' US Army/DARPA
Mil (PZL-Swidnik) Mi-2 OM-LJQ EX OK-LJQ
Monte-Copter 15 Triphibian N69P Sole example of this 1960 three-seat amphibian with a compressor powering cold rotor-tip jets.
Piasecki HUP-3 Retriever N7089F Canadian Navy markings, ex USAF 51-16621
Piasecki-Vertol H-21B Work Horse N64606 (NX64606) Marked as 'US Army 44001'. Ex USAF 54-4001, French Marines F-YDCB, French Army 8-000-114
Quadcopter UAV firebomber None Autonomous firebomber project.
Revolution Mini-500 N501CS Kit helicopter with a poor reputation.
Robinson R22 Unregistered On loan from Robinson Helicopter Company.
Roton ATV rotor head   The rotor head from the Rotary Rocket Roton ATV (see my Miscellaneous page).
Rotorway Exec 162F N917MT  
Rotorway Scorpion    
Sikorsky H-19D Chickasaw N2256G Ex USAF 57-5962
Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard 1395 USCG
Sikorsky S-52-3 (HO5S-1) N9433H First production example. Ex USMC 125516, CF-GWE, N6994C.
Sud Aviation SA-319B Alouette III N6UH Ex French Army
Sud Ouest SO1221S Djinn F-BRGC Ex French AF FR112. Compressor-powered rotor-tip jets. Successful, with 178 built.
Westland Wasp HAS1 N612VH Ex Royal Navy XV639

Section home page

Aviation home page