Helio Aircraft Company
Encyclopedia
The Koppen-Bollinger Aircraft Corporation was founded by Otto Koppen and Lynn Bollinger in Massachusetts
in 1948 to develop a light STOL
utility aircraft. It was renamed the Helio Aircraft Corporation by the time manufacture of this aircraft, the Courier
, commenced in the early 1950s at a plant in Pittsburg, Kansas
.
The business was bought by the General Aircraft Corporation
in 1969, was renamed Helio Aircraft Company and continued production until 1974, when General Aircraft commenced legal proceedings against the CIA, alleging that the agency had planned to ruin the business through organising unlicenced production of the Courier. During the 1970s, the rights changed hands several times before being purchased by Helio Aircraft Ltd , which returned the Courier to production in the 1980s, but only built 18 aircraft.
The rights to the Courier and Stallion were bought and sold a number of times more before being purchased by Helio Aircraft LLC of Prescott, Arizona
, which announced plans in 2004 to return both types to production.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1948 to develop a light STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
utility aircraft. It was renamed the Helio Aircraft Corporation by the time manufacture of this aircraft, the Courier
Helio Courier
The Helio Courier is a light C/STOL utility aircraft designed in 1949.Around 500 of these aircraft were manufactured in Pittsburg, Kansas from 1954 until 1974 by the Helio Aircraft Company. During the early 1980s, new owners made an attempt to build new aircraft with direct-drive Lycoming engines,...
, commenced in the early 1950s at a plant in Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
.
The business was bought by the General Aircraft Corporation
General Aircraft Corporation
The General Aircraft Company was an American aircraft design and manufacturing company formed in the 1940s and ceased involvement with aircraft in 1976.-History:...
in 1969, was renamed Helio Aircraft Company and continued production until 1974, when General Aircraft commenced legal proceedings against the CIA, alleging that the agency had planned to ruin the business through organising unlicenced production of the Courier. During the 1970s, the rights changed hands several times before being purchased by Helio Aircraft Ltd , which returned the Courier to production in the 1980s, but only built 18 aircraft.
The rights to the Courier and Stallion were bought and sold a number of times more before being purchased by Helio Aircraft LLC of Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, which announced plans in 2004 to return both types to production.