The Rotary-winged military aircraft of the United States include a variety of types, designated primarily in two seperate numbering sequences.

In 1962 when the Unified Designation System was adopted, six former Navy and Army types received new designations in the H-1 to H-6 series, which can be found here. However, the original sequence was also continued, and remains in use to the present, with the next designation available being H-73.

SequenceNameManufacturerImageFirst flightNotes/Notable variants
R-1 Platt-Lepage Aircraft12 May 1941 
R-2 Kellett Autogiro Modified from YG-1C.
R-3 Kellett Autogiro Modified from YG-1B.
R-4"Hoverfly"Sikorsky Aircraft13 January 1942 
R-5/H-5"Dragonfly"Sikorsky Aircraft18 August 1943Redesignated H-5 in 1948.
R-6"Hoverfly II"Sikorsky Aircraft15 October 1943Redesignated H-6 in 1948.
R-7 Sikorsky Aircraft -Not built.
R-8 Kellett Autogiro7 August 1944Redesignated H-8 in 1948.
R-9 Firestone Aircraft1946Redesignated H-9 in 1948.
R-10 Kellett Autogiro24 April 1947Redesignated H-10 in 1948.
R-11 Rotorcraft Corporation1947Redesignated H-11 in 1948.
R-12 Bell Helicopter1947Redesignated H-12 in 1948.
H-12 Bell Helicopter1947Redesignated H-12 in 1948.
R-13SiouxBell Helicopter8 December 1945Redesignated H-13 in 1948.
Some variants formerly HTL, HUL.
H-13 SiouxSiouxBell Helicopter8 December 1945Redesignated H-13 in 1948.
Some variants formerly HTL, HUL.
R-14 Firestone Aircraft -Not built.
R-15 Bell Helicopter1948Redesignated H-15 in 1948.
H-15 Bell Helicopter1948Redesignated H-15 in 1948.
R-16TransporterPiasecki Helicopter23 October 1953Redesignated H-16 in 1948.
H-16A formerly H-27.
H-16TransporterPiasecki Helicopter23 October 1953Redesignated H-16 in 1948.
H-16A formerly H-27.
R-17"Flying Crane"Hughes Helicopters23 October 1952Redesignated H-17 in 1948.
H-17"Flying Crane"Hughes Helicopters23 October 1952Redesignated H-17 in 1948.
H-18 Sikorsky Aircraft12 February 1947
(S-52)
 
H-19ChickasawSikorsky Aircraft10 November 1949Some variants formerly HRS, HO4S.
H-20 Little HenryLittle HenryMcDonnell Aircraft29 August 1947 
H-21Shawnee
Workhorse
"Flying Banana"
Piasecki HelicopterApril 1952 
H-22 Kaman AircraftJuly 1949
(K-225)
 
H-23 RavenRavenHiller Helicopters1948
(Model 360)
 
H-24Sky HawkSeibel HelicopterApril 1951 
H-25Army MulePiasecki HelicopterMarch 1948Some variants formerly HUP.
H-26 Jet JeepJet JeepAmerican HelicopterJanuary 1952 
H-27TransporterPiasecki Helicopter -Redesignated as H-16A.
H-28 Hughes Helicopters -Not built.
H-29 McDonnell Aircraft -Not built.
H-30 McCulloch AircraftMarch 1951
(MC-4)
 
H-31 Doman Helicopters27 April 1953 
H-32 HornetHornetHiller Helicopters1950YH-32A Serial No. 55-4965 is believed to be the world's first helicopter gunship.[1]
H-33 Bell Helicopter -Redesignated as V-3.
H-34Choctaw
Seabat
Seahorse
Sikorsky Aircraft8 March 1954Some variants formerly HUS, HSS-1.
H-35 McDonnell Aircraft -Redesignated as V-1.
H-36SkippedPossibly assigned to V-2.
Possibly assigned to Project LONG EARS.
H-37 MojaveMojaveSikorsky Aircraft1953H-37C formerly HR2S.
H-38SkippedPossibly assigned to Project SHORT TAIL.
H-39 Sikorsky Aircraft1954Modified from H-18.
H-40 Bell Helicopter20 October 1956Produced as H-1.
H-41 SenecaSenecaCessna1953
(CH-1)
 
H-43 HuskieHuskieKaman Aircraft1953Some variants formerly HOK, HTK, HUK.
H-44SkippedPossibly assigned to Project BIG TOM.
H-45SkippedPossibly assigned to Project STEP CHILD.
H-46 Sea KnightSea KnightBoeing VertolAugust 1962Formerly HRB-1.
UH-46B formerly H-49.
H-46C formerly HC-1A.
H-47 ChinookChinookBoeing VertolAugust 1962Formerly HC-1B.
H-50 DASHDASHGyrodyne1959Formerly DSN.
H-51 Lockheed Corporation100px2 November 1962 
H-52SeaguardSikorsky Aircraft1959
(S-62)
Formerly HU2S.
H-53 Sea StallionSea Stallion
"Super Jolly Green Giant"
Pave Low
Super Stallion
Sea Dragon
Sikorsky Aircraft

14 October 1964
(YCH-53A)
1 March 1974
(YCH-53E)
[2]
MH-53 Pave Low
CH-53E Super Stallion
CH-53K Super Stallion
H-54 TarheTarheSikorsky Aircraft9 May 1962 
H-55 OsageOsageHughes Helicopters2 October 1956
Model 269
 
H-56 CheyenneCheyenneLockheed Corporation21 September 1967 
H-57Sea RangerBell Helicopter10 January 1966
(Model 206A)
 
H-58 KiowaKiowa
Kiowa Warrior
Bell Helicopter10 January 1966
(Model 206A)
6 October 1983
(OH-58D)
 
H-59 Sikorsky Aircraft26 July 1973 
H-60 Black HawkBlack Hawk
Seahawk
Jayhawk
Pave Hawk
Nighthawk
Oceanhawk
Rescue Hawk
"Whitehawk"
"Knighthawk"
DAP
Sikorsky Aircraft

26 July 1973SH-60 Seahawk
HH-60 Pave Hawk
HH-60 Jayhawk
H-61 Boeing VertolNovember 1974 
H-62 Boeing Vertol-Never flown.
H-63 KingCobra Bell Helicopter1 October 1975 
H-64 ApacheApache
Apache Longbow
Hughes Helicopters
McDonnell Douglas
Boeing Helicopters
30 September 1975 
H-65 DolphinDolphinAérospatiale
Eurocopter
1980 
H-66 CommancheComancheBoeing Helicopters
Sikorsky Aircraft
4 January 1996 
H-67 CreekCreekBell Helicopter1993 
H-68StingrayAgustaWestland2000[2]
Leased 2000-2008
H-69Skipped 
H-70"Arapaho"Bell Helicopter20 July 2006[2]
H-71 KestrelKestrelAgustaWestland
Lockheed Martin
Bell Helicopter
3 July 2007[2]
H-72 LakotaLakotaEurocopter19 June 1999
(EC145)
[2]

References edit

  1. ^ "The First 100 Years of Aviation". Hiller Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on 2005-02-06. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e Parsch, Andreas. "DOD 4120.15-L - Addendum, MDS Designators allocated after 19 August 1998 (until March 2009)". Designation-Systems.Net. Retrieved 2010-04-05.