The Hughes 269 is a two-seat piston engine trainer that first flew in October 1956. It was used extensively by the U.S. Army for initial rotory wing training as the TH-55A Osage, 792 of which were eventually built. The TH-55 was the Army's primary training helicopter between 1965 and 1988. Click on the image to the right to see a full-size scan of an advertisement that appeared in the December 8, 1962 issue of Army, Navy, Air Force Journal and Register ("Spokesman of the Services since 1863").

• Dimensions
  • Rotor diameter: 26 feet 10 inches (8.2 meters)
  • Length: 22 feet (6.8 meters)
  • Height: 8 feet 2 inches (2.5 meters)
  • Seating: 2
• Weight
  • Max Gross: 1850 pounds (839 kg)
  • Empty: 1008 pounds (457 kg)
• Performance
  • One 180 hp Lycoming H10-360-A1A piston
  • Max speed:
  • Cruise speed: 64 knots (120 kph)
  • Max climb:
  • Ceiling: 10,200 feet
  • OGE Hover:
  • Range: 195 nautical miles

Hughes transferred production of the 269 to Schweizer Aircraft, which builds 300C, 300CB and 300CBi helicopters. In 2009 the helicopter was renamed the Sikorsky S-300.