Howard's Whirlybirds: Howard Hughes's Amazing Pioneering Helicopter Exploits

Howard Hughes, movie mogul, aviation pioneer and political hound dog, has always fascinated the public, yet his legacy involving the aviation industry is often under appreciated. Hughes Helicopters was one of America's pioneering aviation companies, but few have heard of it. It mass produced the first turbine-powered light observation helicopter, popularized the light helicopter trainer, tested a gigantic 'tip-jet' powered flying crane, and developed the world's most advanced attack helicopter, the iconic Apache. It also came under extremely close scrutiny by the US Congress. From the Second World War to the mid- 1980s, Howard's Whirlybirds tells how many of the world's most innovative helicopters were developed - the setbacks, the breakthroughs, the brilliance of the company's engineers and the test-flying bravado of fearless pilots - under the leadership of one of the most fascinating characters of the twentieth century. It aims to put Hughes Helicopters in its rightful place, at the forefront of America's aeronautical history.