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WELCOME, |
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Helicopter Historical Foundation. |
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At this site, you will find the only authoritative source on information concerning the coaxial helicopters manufactured by the Gyrodyne Company of America from 1946 to 1969 and flown through 2006, that were the prototypes for and subsequent production models of the QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) WEAPON SYSTEM and other variants of this remarkable series of VTOL unmanned aerial vehicles.
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While the days of the assembly line, as seen
at left are now just the memories of old, a small group of former
Gyrodyne employees formed the Gyrodyne Helicopter
Historical Foundation to keep the history alive, here at this web
site. |
| At this time, Gyrodyne was producing and delivering over 100 QH-50C drones per year. |
These glory days have since passed, but the memory of Gyrodyne's contribution to the defense of this nation has been preserved in THIRTEEN specific areas: |
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Click on the highlighted text or the Helicopter next to the Subject you wish to explore! |
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First: Who WE Are: A short narrative of the creation of the Gyrodyne Helicopter Historical Foundation and what we do. Also, the projects we complete are as varied as the missions our QH-50's flew. Check out the historical GHHF Projects we have completed. The History of the QH-50 is tied to the weapon it carried: the MK-44 Torpedo. Visit our MK-44 Torpedo Shop - its the only place like it! |
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Second: please take a look at the biography of the founder of Gyrodyne, the American coaxial helicopter pioneer, Peter James Papadakos (1914 to 1992). The story of his life, is the story of the company he created, called Gyrodyne. |
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Third: if you are looking for the definitive story of the Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) Weapon System, look no further. This is the most specific and detailed accounting of DASH History, The Ships of DASH, why the program was subsequently cancelled, and accountings and memories by the sailors that flew DASH. |
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Fourth: What is so different about the Co-axial rotor system from other rotor systems that caused the U.S. Navy to spend hundreds of millions of dollars perfecting? Coaxial Benefits page tells why. |
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Fifth: A short story of the Evolution of the QH-50 VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. |
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Sixth: the FULL story of the development and deployment of the first unmanned ARMED helicopters in the world to operate from U.S. Navy destroyers can be viewed at QH-50 Models. |
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Seventh: It took more than the placing of a QH-50 drone on a U.S. Destroyer to make DASH work! What the Destroyer needed FIRST, was the FRAM (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization) program and over 160 Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts received this reconstruction to carry DASH and ASROC and extend those ship's lives by an additional 8 years! HERE are the SHIPS of FRAM, as well as information on ASROC, DASH and the business end of a Destroyer: its 5 inch/38 caliber gun! |
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Eighth: So, you want to see a QH-50? Here is a list of the Museums We Support, their locations and pictures of their displays. |
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Ninth: a short list of the Milestones and "firsts" that Gyrodyne has achieved over the past 55 years is a testament to the will and dedication of its employees and to the coaxial design that continues to be used to this day by the United States Dept. of Defense and other foreign nations. |
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Tenth: The milestones that determine a company's success would not have occurred without the dedicated employees of the Gyrodyne Company of America. Here the Foundation has placed the Written Memories of some former employees who remembered what it was like to work on a State-of-the-Art weapon system......a system that has never been replicated and continues to work to this day. |
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Eleventh: Our Foundation has relied upon a small group of former Naval Officers, Sailors and Marines to assist us in researching the history of Gyrodyne's QH-50 DASH weapon system and other FRAM weapon systems ON-Ship. Some of their Stories are of typical Navy life. The Stories of the Secret Scurvy Dog Society are here. |
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Finally, for the U.S. DoD activity looking for the capabilities of the Gyrodyne QH-50C/D unmanned aircraft today, seeking services and technical information and such, click here and we'll try to help you. |
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If you have any questions regarding our web site or require
additional information, please feel free to
contact
us! Enjoy your adventure!
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A Gyrodyne QH-50C UAV departs the U.S. Navy Destroyer, USS Hazelwood (DD-531), on an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Mission, armed with two MK-44 acoustic homing torpedoes. The UAV was guided by a human pilot (located on the launching ship) to the target using the Ship’s Radar system. Target Acquisition was achieved using the ship’s AN/SQS-23 Sonar system.
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The Site has been visited
times since it was FRAM'd!
