McCulloch MC-4 - Misplaced Pages

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MC-4

Role	Light helicopterType of aircraft
Manufacturer	McCulloch Aircraft Corporation
Designer	Drago Jovanovich
First flight	March 1951
Primary users	United States Army United States Navy
Developed from	HERC JOV-3

The McCulloch Model MC-4 was an American tandem-rotor helicopter and was the first helicopter developed by McCulloch Aircraft Corporation, a division of McCulloch Motors Corporation. It was evaluated by the United States Army as the YH-30 and the United States Navy as the XHUM-1.

Design and development

The MC-4 was a larger version of the earlier HERC JOV-3 tandem-rotor helicopter and was developed by the McCulloch Aircraft Corporation. The JOV-3 was developed by Jovanovich when he headed the Helicopter Engineering and Research Corporation. The JOV-3 first flew in 1948. In 1949, Jovanovich moved to the McCulloch Motors Corporation, where an enlarged helicopter, the MC-4, first flew in March 1951. It was followed by a similar MC-4C and three evaluation helicopters for the United States Army (as the YH-30). The MC-4C was slightly larger than the MC-4. When the MC-4C was certified in 1953, it was the first tandem-rotor helicopter to be certified in the United States for commercial use. Three examples were evaluated by the United States Army as the YH-30, but the Army's evaluation showed the helicopter to be underpowered.

The YH-30 had a steel tube framework with a light metal skin, A single 200 hp Franklin piston engine was horizontally mounted amidships and powered two intermeshing tandem rotors. It had a fixed-wheel tricycle landing gear with a castering nosewheel.

No civil or military orders were received and Jovanovich formed his own company, the Jovair Corporation, where he modified the MC-4C as a prototype for a four-seat private helicopter designated the Sedan 4E. The Sedan 4E was powered by a 210 hp Franklin 6A-335 engine. A version with a turbocharged engine was designed as the Sedan 4ES and a more basic Sedan 4A for agricultural use. By 1965 a small number of Sedan helicopters were built. In the early 1970s, McCulloch regained the rights to the helicopter designs.

Variants

McCulloch MC-4: Prototype with a 165 hp Franklin engine, two built, one for evaluation by the United States Navy.
McCulloch MC-4A: Variant for evaluation by the United States Navy as the XHUM-1, two built.
McCulloch MC-4C: Prototype with a 200 hp Franklin engine, one built and an additional three for United States Army evaluation as the YH-30.
Jovair Sedan 4E: Production civil four-seat version powered by a 210 hp Franklin 6A-335 engine.
Jovair Sedan 4ES: Sedan with a turbocharged 225 hp Franklin engine.
Jovair Sedan 4A: Simplified agricultural version.

Military designations

YH-30: Military version of the MC-4C, three built.
CHUM-1: Two MC-4As for evaluation by the United States Navy, later redesignated HUM-1.

Operators

United States

Surviving aircraft

133817 – HUM-1 on static display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
133818 – HUM-1 on static display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
52-5837 – YH-30 on static display at the United States Army Aviation Museum at Fort Novosel, Alabama.

Specifications (YH-30)

General characteristics

Crew: two
Length: 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
Height: 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m)
Empty weight: 1,200 lb (544 kg)
Gross weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Franklin O-335-6 (6A4-200-C6) piston , 200 hp (147.1 kW)
Main rotor diameter: 2 × 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m)

Performance

Maximum speed: 105 mph (168.98 km/h, 91 kn)
Range: 200 mi (321.86 km, 170 nmi)

References

Notes

^ Harding, Stephen U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947, Airlife Publishing, Ltd. 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8
"McCulloch HUM-1". Pima Air & Space Museum. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
"McCulloch Aircraft HUM-1 (MC-4A)". Yanks Air Museum. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
"Airframe Dossier - McCulloch YH-30, s/n 52-5837, c/n 001". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 22 July 2024.

Bibliography

John Andrade, U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909, Midland Counties Publications, 1979, ISBN 0-904597-22-9 (Page 121)
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2213/2214.

External links

Jovair history Archived 2019-11-01 at the Wayback Machine

v t e Jovonovich, HERC, McCulloch and Jovair aircraft models
Civilian	J-2 JOV-3 MC-4 MC-4C Sedan 4A Sedan 4E
Military	YH-30

United States helicopter designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Numerical sequence used by USAAC/USAAF/USAF 1941–present; U.S. Army 1948–1956 and 1962–present; U.S. Navy 1962–present

Army/Air Force sequence
(1941–1962)

Prefix R-, 1941–1948	R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 R-7 R-8 R-9 R-10 R-11 R-12 R-13 R-14 R-15 R-16
Prefix H-, 1948–1962	H-5 H-6 H-9 H-10 H-11 H-12 H-13 H-13J H-15 H-16 H-17 H-18 H-19 H-20 H-21 H-22 H-23 H-24 H-25 H-26 H-27 H-28 H-29 H-30 H-31 H-32 H-33 H-34 H-35 H-36 H-37 H-38 H-39 H-40 H-41 H-42 H-43 H-44 H-45

Tri-Service sequence
(1962–present)

1962 redesignations	H-13 H-13F H-13J H-19 H-21 H-23 H-25 H-34 H-37 H-43
New designations	H-46 H-47 H-48 H-49 H-50 H-51 H-52 H-53 CH-53/E/K HH-53/MH-53 H-54 H-55 H-56 H-57 H-58 H-59 H-60 UH-60 SH-60 HH-60 MH-60 H-61 H-62 H-63 H-64 H-65 H-66 H-67 H-68 H-69 H-70 H-71 H-72 H-73
Alternate sequence	H-1 AH-1/J/T/W/Z UH-1/N/Y H-2 G H-3 CH-3/HH-3 SH-3 H-4 H-5 H-6 AH-6 MH-6 OH-6
Non-sequential	H-90 H-92 CH-92/VH-92 H-139

Not assigned

USN helicopter designations pre-1962

Helicopter, Anti-submarine

Bell	HSL
Sikorsky	HSS-1 HSS-2

Helicopter, Crane

McDonnell	HCH

Helicopter, Observation

Convertawings	HOC
Hiller	HOE
Gyrodyne	HOG
Kaman	HOK
Sikorsky	HOS HO2S HO3S HO4S HO5S

Helicopter, Trainer pre-1948

Sikorsky	HNS

Helicopter, Trainer 1948-1962

Hiller	HTE
Kaman	HTK
Bell	HTL

Helicopter, Transport 1944-1962

Boeing Vertol	HRB
McDonnell	HRH
Piasecki	HRP
Sikorsky	HRS HR2S HR3S

Helicopter, Utility pre-1949

McDonnell	HJD
McDonnell	HJH
Piasecki	HJP
Sikorsky	HJS

Helicopter, Utility 1950-1962

Kaman	HUK HU2K
Bell	HUL
McCulloch	HUM
Piasecki	HUP
Sikorsky	HUS HU2S

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