The story
The Hughes/Schweizer 269 has been turning students into helicopter pilots since the 1960s — small, honest, and forgiving of ham-fisted hovering. The US Army trained thousands in them.
As the TH-55 Osage, it was the US Army's primary helicopter trainer from 1964 to 1988 and taught more than 60,000 Army pilots. Students called it the "Mattel Messerschmitt".
Quick answers
How do you identify a Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300)?
Tiny two- or three-seat bubble cockpit, a skinny open tube tail boom with struts, and a three-blade rotor. Skids, no doors on hot days, and usually a flight-school logo on the side.
What does a Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300) sound like?
A single Lycoming flat-four and a three-blade rotor: a busy, buzzing clatter, lighter than any turbine helicopter.
How fast is the Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300)?
Top speed is 82 kts.
How many passengers does the Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300) carry?
Up to 2.
How far can the Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300) fly?
Range is about 194 nmi.
How big is the Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300)?
It is 30 ft 10 in long and 26 ft 10 in across the rotor.
When did the Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300) first fly?
Its first flight was in 1956.
How many Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300)s have been built?
2,800+ (Hughes alone) built.
What do crews call the Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300)?
Mattel Messerschmitt.
How rare is a Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300) in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first Hughes / Schweizer 269 (300) catch is worth 25 points.
