Enstrom helicopters

[Stingray]

Figured some little-known developments would allow the addition of a full Enstrom helicopter list here.

Rudolph J. "Rudy" Enstrom was an iron mine mechanic with little knowledge of helicopter design, and started with a homebuilt design around 1957. The Enstrom Helicopter Corporation (then R.J. Enstrom Corp.) was founded in 1959.



Enstrom F-27 - Three-seat light helicopter. Possible prototype to the F-28 line.

Enstrom F-28 - Light helicopter

• F-28A - First production model
• 280 "Shark" - Luxury version of the F-28A
• F-28C / 280C - Improved model with 153kW Avco-Lycoming HIO-360-E1AD engine
• F-28C-2 - Same as above model with one-piece windscreen and pedestal central instrument console
• F-28F "Falcon" / 280F - Improved model with turbocharged 168kW Avco-Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD engine
• F-28F-P "Sentinel" - Police version of Model 280F
• 280FX (also called "Shark", or is this a mistake?) - Updated Model 280F
• 280L "Hawk" - Project for a four-seat version of the 280C (prototype was flown, but production ceased following change in company ownership)
• Spitfire Mk 1 - Basic Enstrom F-28A design by the Spitfire Helicopter Company of Lynnfield, Massachusetts

Enstrom 480 - Four-seat version based on the Model 280L "Hawk" design

• 480A - Initial version with five-seat (two plus three) configuration with staggered seating
• 480B - Further improved model
• "Guardian" - Police patrol/security version
• TH-28 - Light patrol training version with crashworthy construction

Enstrom 800 - Five-seat helicopter project with two Allison engines

"VIKI-helicopter"(?) - Coaxial-rotor version (possible homebuilt conversion?)



Special thanks to HannetonIII for the basic list.

 

[hesham]

My dear Stingray,


F-27 was three-seat light civil helicopter.
F-380 was a project,but no details are known,may be it was not real design.

 

[Stingray]

Thanks, updated.

I'm fairly certain "380" is simply a mistype of "280" or "480", as I've seen this mistake made before on other sites.

 

[hesham]

My dear Stingray,


I saw it in the Internet in a site,which also mentioned the F-280 and F-480,I convinced
by that time,it was not misprint,I will try to remember its name.

 

[Hood]

Some additional info from 'Airlife's Helicopters and Rotocraft'.

The F-28A was not the initial production model, that was the F-28. The F-28 had modified gearing to reduce rotor rpm and increasing effective power to 205hp. Ceiling cabin windows added.
F-28B - experimental F-28 with turbocharged engine.
F-28C-1 - an F-28C with new single-piece bubble windshield and redesigned instrument console.
280 'Shark' - An F-28 with revised streamlined fuselage, tail fins (later one single ventral fin) and HIO-360-C1B fuel-injection engine.
The 280FX is also listed as named 'Shark'.
280FXT - 1968 experimental 280FX with Allison 250-C20W turboshaft to test installation for 480.
280L is listed as named as 'Turbo Hawk'.
480 Turbine - commercial 4-5 seat TH-28
480 Eagle - proposed version of 480L with Allison 250-C20B.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is an Enstrom early helicopter prototypes,a design of 1957 and F-27.

http://enstromhelicopter.com/about/history/

 

[hesham]

From Airlife's book; Helicopters & Rotorcraft,