Sikorsky S-300

The Sikorsky S-300 (formerly Hughes 300 and Schweizer 300) family of light utility helicopters was originally produced by Hughes Helicopters, as a development of the Hughes 269. Later manufactured by Schweizer Aircraft, the basic design has been in production for almost 50 years. The single, three-bladed main rotor and piston-powered S-300 is mostly used as a cost-effective platform for training and agriculture.

Development

Background

In 1955, Hughes Tool Company's Aircraft Division (later Hughes Helicopters) carried out a market survey which showed that there was a demand for a low-cost, lightweight two-seat helicopter. The division began building the Model 269 in September 1955. The prototype flew on 2 October 1956, but it wasn't until 1960 that the decision was made to develop the helicopter for production.

On 9 April 1959, the 269 received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Hughes continued to concentrate on civil production. With some design changes, deliveries of the Model 269A version began in 1961. By mid-1963 about 20 aircraft were being produced a month and by the spring of 1964, 314 had been built. Hughes had successfully captured a large portion of the civilian helicopter market with an aircraft that would prove itself popular in agriculture, police work and other duties.

S300

S300 may refer to :

S-300 (missile)

The S-300 (NATO reporting name SA-10 Grumble) is a series of initially Soviet and later Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems produced by NPO Almaz, based on the initial S-300P version. The S-300 system was developed to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles for the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.

The S-300 system was first deployed by the Soviet Union in 1979, designed for the air defence of large industrial and administrative facilities, military bases, and control of airspace against enemy strike aircraft. The system is fully automated, though manual observation and operation are also possible. Components may be near the central command post, or as distant as 40 km. Each radar provides target designation for the central command post. The command post compares the data received from the targeting radars up to 80 km apart, filtering false targets, a difficult task at such great distances. The central command post features both active and passive target detection modes.