Hill Helicopters HX50

[Ascend Charlie]

Lots of glass, maybe a reasonable idea in a cold wet country, but let some sunlight in there, and I don't see a window that can open or a fresh air vent at all. Aircon must be a standard no-cost fitting.

[[email protected]]

Yes, and people think a Gazelle cockpit is hot in the sunshine - that is going to be a proper greenhouse......

[hargreaves99]

"first flight" date just moved to 2024....

[Hughes500]

Air con maybe ?

[CGameProgrammerr]

There absolutely will be air conditioning because all current private helicopter owners always get it if available, but you raise a good point - there must be fresh air vents as well (for comfort as well as CO emergencies) and none are visible. Robinson's window vents are almost useless so I think unvented windows are fine and improve visibility but there should be a nose vent like Robinsons also have.

The screenshotted comment from Facebook is a bit ignorant though - the HX50 will never be certified. Only the HC50 ideally would, but frankly that's such an uphill battle that I doubt it will ever happen.

[206 jock]

Originally Posted by hargreaves99

"first flight" date just moved to 2024....

Phew! My hat is safe, just the shoe at risk but to be honest, I am not too worried about that, as it's consumption is based on a flight in 2024.

[Bell_ringer]

Originally Posted by Ascend Charlie

Lots of glass, maybe a reasonable idea in a cold wet country, but let some sunlight in there, and I don't see a window that can open or a fresh air vent at all. Aircon must be a standard no-cost fitting.

There is a lot of form over function in this design. In harsher, hotter climates I can only see problems. Particularly with that flash, consumer-grade cockpit of his.
Any bets on how much warm/cold climate testing will be done before it is shunted into production?

[hargreaves99]

I notice that the "first flight" date was changed to 2024 within the last two weeks, but this wasn't mentioned by Jason in the latest video at all.

[[email protected]]

Humble pie safe in the freezer for another year

[206 jock]

Originally Posted by CGameProgrammerr

I do feel it was idiotic for him not to build at or near an airport; people complain about noise from airports too but they were the ones that bought houses near an airport so they have nothing to complain about. But these farmers do have legitimate concerns because Hill is trying to build a heliport where previously there was none, so that would be noise that wasn't there before. They're not that loud of course (not like jets) but obviously property owners will try to stop it.

Perhaps Dr Hill is aware that getting planning will be very hard and until that's built, he cannot realistically be held to account on production of real, flying aircraft. It probably doesn't help his case when one of his boasts was that the Hill heliport (Hilliport?) would be busier than BHX when it's fully functioning: I wouldn't want to live next door to that, no matter what noise mitigations are in place. And even in the faint hope that he gets planning, there will be loads of conditions to overcome before he can break ground: there will be a pond with Great crested newts within 100m, or a watercourse with watervoles, wildlife-friendly lighting (I kid you not) etc etc that will need approving by the planners.

I have previously mentioned the parallels with the allegedly resurgent TVR car brand: I placed a deposit for one of these back in 2016, with a promise of a car in 2018 - didn't happen of course, but they had a working prototype in that year. There is still no sign of production and 'the factory' was a source of blame for a long while: https://www.evo.co.uk/tvr/16073/tvr-...duled-for-2023

Forunately, the TVR deposit was refundable.

[hargreaves99]

I think that Jason Hill needed (and still needs) to make bold claims about flight dates and productions numbers etc as he needed (and still needs) a constant supply of £50,000 deposits to bankroll the whole venture.

[Bell_ringer]

Originally Posted by hargreaves99

I think that Jason Hill needed (and still needs) to make bold claims about flight dates and productions numbers etc as he needed (and still needs) a constant supply of £50,000 deposits to bankroll the whole venture.

Good thing he is a doctor. In the UK there is no one more proficient with long waiting lists

[206 jock]

Let's hope that not many depositors pass away before their machine is ready

[hargreaves99]

[domperry76]

For a bit of extra precision, Hill Helicopters says: "We are planning on starting ground running of the first prototypes by Q2 of next year with flight tests happening shortly after that. We are still planning production to start beginning of 2025."
https://www.flightglobal.com/helicop...154622.article

[hargreaves99]

"And although the HX50 has yet to fly, Dr Hill is already contemplating a larger twin-engined variant he tentatively calls the HC80. This would have eight seats, be IFR capable and have a maximum take-off weight of 1.375t."


Could be a SAR version for Crab maybe?

[FloaterNorthWest]

Originally Posted by hargreaves99

"And although the HX50 has yet to fly, Dr Hill is already contemplating a larger twin-engined variant he tentatively calls the HC80. This would have eight seats, be IFR capable and have a maximum take-off weight of 1.375t."

I think he means 3175 kg.

[hargreaves99]

3175kg means something between an ec135 and the ec155

[ShyTorque]

That would put it in the same market as the A109S and SP.

[hargreaves99]

I bet if Hill knocked up a CGI video and rendering with some specs and 'delivery around 2030' people would be queuing up to place a deposit.