Aviation History - July 2018

American Indian tribes. As

various iterations of the H-

entered production, the 490

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dual controls and had provi-

sion for stretchers mounted

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Hays’ research into H-13E

history revealed that in 1957

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the pilot. The Army’s vast

aviation research facility at

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the armed H-13Es, perhaps

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Hays said he learned that

the Army sent 60 of them to

South Vietnam, where they

proved the concept. But far

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and the H-13’s service as a

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Hays found photos and

blueprints of the armed

H-13Es that helped him

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Hays constructed, and the

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obtained from military sur-

plus suppliers.

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stainless-steel ammunition

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ammunition. The introduc-

tion of that shorter round

eliminated the need for

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Standard Armament, a

California manufacturer

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proper .30-06 chutes for his

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carry, especially on a hot

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issues with the bolt-on arma-

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required careful calculations

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H-13E restoration to show

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5,000 manhours went into

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manufacture of some parts

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pass muster with him.

This 60-plus-year-old

helicopter has a varied

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Army service, the H-13E was

surplused and civilianized.

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Department was the Bell’s

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tion company, Hays said.

With a leisurely 65-mph

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the open sides of that trade-

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not be the best machine for

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airshows any distance from

Louisiana. So Hays built a

custom enclosed trailer to

transport his prized helicop-

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and show the H-13, which

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about his rare armed heli-

copter with interested air-

show visitors.

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AirVenture, Hays and

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Helicopter award in the war-

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Silver Wrench award for his

restoration prowess. And that

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Champion Warbird honors

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earlier in the year.

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have been produced, includ-

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models. And as Reid Hays

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47 is still equally viable as a

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pered showpiece.

AH 17

OPPOSITE: (TOP) COURTESY OF REID HAYS, (BOTTOM) FREDERICK A. JOHNSEN; TOP RIGHT: BRADY PATIN; BOTTOM RIGHT: FREDERICK A. JOHNSEN

JULY 2018

ARMED AND DANGEROUS

Hays brings his restored

gunship in for a landing (left).

Two Browning M37 machine

guns are mounted above the

helo’s landing skids (below).