HAI - Houston

This year's HAI HeliExpo was held in Houston, Texas in a hall so large the 17,373 visitors seemed almost lost in the space, and the 523 exhibitors  (which included 63 helicopters) had plenty of room to publicise their wares in an attractive manner.

There were a few innovations in the market and several revampings of past ideas. The first and most exciting innovation was the Sikorsky X-2, with its ‘suite of technologies’ and its resemblance (although this turned out to be incorrect) to a large and well designed gyrocopter.

Eurocopter brought out  it latest model the 175, a larger version of the 145, designed specifically for the off-shore market and Schweizer  (now part of Sikorsky) brought out the 434, a 333 with one more blade (reminding one of the transition from the 330 to the 333) a utility helicopter designed for lifting and carrying jobs...

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