On 09-May-2006, the U.S. Army flew its last QH-50D mission (seen at right). Upon that last flight, all remaining aircraft were placed in storage in a concrete building. Thus bringing to an end a 45-year deployment.

While it was the hope of the Gyrodyne Helicopter Historical Foundation, that the QH-50 would continue its use as a weapons-testing platform, the lack of R & D funding in FY 2006 and on-going programs caused a decline in the need for this versatile VTOL-UAV system.

With the almost constant shooting-down of American Manned-Helicopters in IRAQ and Afghanistan today, we hope the U.S. Dept of Defense will one day look at the QH-50 and instead of seeing a "target" to shoot-down for a test, instead see the versatile, 1500-lb Unmanned -Heavy-lift Rotor System that made so many weapon and RECON drone-platforms work in the 60's and 70's. It is NEVER TO LATE TO LEARN, from the PAST.

If you are interested in visiting a QH-50 and see the world's only mass-deployed VTOL UAV system, in the history of man-kind, please visit our museum page for locations and please support those ships and museums of DASH.

The Gyrodyne Helicopter Historical Foundation wishes to thank the U.S. Army's Target Management Office for its kind support of all QH-50 museums through generous donations of parts and test equipment so the nationwide displays of this unique system were enhanced.

If you have any questions, just send your message to Gyrodyne_History@Yahoo.com and we'll do our best to answer them!

Above, The Flight Test Boys of old at work!

Helicopter Historical Foundation
P.O. Box 3838, Reno, Nevada USA 89505

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Email us at: Gyrodyne_History@Yahoo.com

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