"Bart" wrote in message ...
A couple interesting machines at Choppertown. The Hummingbird was there. Its an S-53ish machine with a jetranger-like nose that is

You mean, S-52. As in Sikorsky S-52-2 or HO5S-1. Yes, what vertical
aviation has done is built a new airframe around the drivetrain and
rotors of a 1952 Sikorsky. They've done a good job as they haven't
ventured far enough from the original (FAA certified) design to be
risky, but they fixed the obvious design flaws (like no door for the
left front seat). Also, they've properly engineered the installation
of a better than original engine. They've got tons of original
Sikorsky parts (gearboxes, rotors, etc) ready to be built into
Hummingbirds.

Ask any old timer that flew these in Korea. Once they end their rant
about how crappy the original engine was, they'll tell you that old
Sikorsky's were built tougher than trucks. One told me (in a gruff,
old marine kind of way) "it was an autorotating son-of-a-b*tch, could
put it anywhere I wanted. And, that was a good thing since that dang
'injun quit so often!"