Stanley Hiller Jr., 81; Pioneer in Helicopter Design, Rescuer of Troubled Corporations

la times ^ | 5-1-06 | Valerie J. Nelson

[Rakkasan1]

The surest sign that Stanley Hiller Jr. was just a kid when he designed the first helicopter to fly successfully in the Western United States was the field on which he chose to test it in 1944: the football stadium of UC Berkeley.

A novice helicopter pilot, he learned to fly the bright-yellow contraption dubbed the Hiller-copter while it was anchored to several cars. He wore what might pass for safety gear among 19-year-olds: a T-shirt and slacks.

[Rakkasan1]

lost a great one.

[Rick_Michael]

I love helicopters...any man that moved the heli forward is a great man...RIP.

[JCEccles]

A salute to one of the three most celebrated LDS ("Mormon") inventors of the past century. The other two: John M. Browning (firearms) and Philo T. Farnsworth (television).

[GSlob]

Well, my favorite peeve on Browning is the grip slant on his firearms: seriously angled grip [like that on Luger, or even more slanted] is much more ergonomic.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[JCEccles]

Nevertheless, no design is more enduring than the Model 1911A's. Browning revolutionized the design of the centerfire rifle (numerous models), the automatic handgun, the shotgun (three times), and the light machine gun (three times).

Browning was born in the decade of the Civil War, and his "Ma Deuce" .50 cal. is still putting major hurt on the bad guys, in Iran and Afghanistan today.

BTW, here's a photo of Hiller's best known design, the H-23A (of M*A*S*H fame).

[GOP_1900AD]

Their family made an endowment for an excellent small aviation museum, which is located at the San Carlos Airport here in San Mateo County. A truly great Son of the Golden West. May he rest in peace.

[T Wayne]

I learned to fly those in '69. Was really proud when I could hover over one spot (the state of Texas).

Anyone that has flown helos knows what I mean!!!!

T

[GoldCountryRedneck]

Their family made an endowment for an excellent small aviation museum....

And inspired FReeper DashingDasher (who also helped with the museum project) to obtain her pilots license way back when. Condolences Dasher; know you lost another mentor...

To the Aviation PingList, Aeronaut. Another Legend has passed onto Fiddlers Green....

Rest in Peace

~GCR~

[underbyte]

I met with Stan hiller Back in the 90's a couple of times, My father used to be one of his chief engineers. At the time he was restoring one of my fathers early helicopters (GAZDA) for his museum and I got a personal tour by Mr. Hiller, you could not but help but like him.

As my father said he was always asking you do something for him, but he was so charismatic you wanted to do what ever he asked.

My father even went to the hiller reunions up until he died 4years ago.

Very unique company, Stan closed the doors in the early '70's due to union disputes and they had reunions every year until Mr. Hiller's Alzhiemer's got he better of him.

Think about it, 30 years after the company closed it's doors former employees would get still together. He was one of the truly great

[Aeronaut]