Jovanovich coaxial-rotor helicopter

Stingray

Resident retro rainbow rotorhead nerdy girl, uwu
Senior Member
Joined
29 November 2007
Messages
413
Reaction score
168
Website
sites.google.com
The only Jovanovich helicopter I'm familiar with is the JOV-3, so this project is completely new to me.

http://stingraysrotorforum.activeboard.com/t43099330/jovanovich-helicopter/
 

Attachments

  • amhelimag56.jpg
    amhelimag56.jpg
    33.9 KB · Views: 344
My dear Stingray,

it was JOV-1 and not JOV-3.
 

Attachments

  • jan46pg8lrg.jpg
    jan46pg8lrg.jpg
    283.7 KB · Views: 231
There was also the Jovanovich JOV-2 prototype autogyro which led to McCulloch J-2. McCulloch later enlarged the HERC (Helicopter Engineering and Research Corporation) JOV-3 as the McCulloch Model MC-4. HERC (by then, rebranded as Jovair) then took the project back as the Jovair Sedan 4E ... which, I suppose could be loosely described as the 'JOV-4' ;).
 
hesham said:
it was JOV-1 and not JOV-3.

Thanks, but I meant that the JOV-3 was the only type I was familiar with at the time, not that the type here is the JOV-3. Sorry for the confusion. :)
 
May I suggest that this topic be renamed for all Jovanovich projects?

Four Jovanovich designs have been identified so far:
  • #1 was the Eastern Sales Engineering JOV-1, a small coaxial-rotor helicopter developed in 1946 by D.K. "Gish" Jovanovich and Enea Bossi as the first (and presumably only) project of their newly-formed Easter Sales Engineering Co., Philadelphia, Penn. It remained a model only.

  • #2 was the McCulloch J-2, a successful gyroplane marketed by the McCulloch Corp. in Arizona. About 100 examples were produced, some as the more powerful Super J-2.

  • #3 was the H.E.R.C. JOV-3 [N9000H], a tandem-rotor prototype developed in 1948 under Jovanovich's newly-formed Helicopter Engineering Research Corp., Philadelphia, Penn. The design was then taken over by McCulloch in 1949.

  • #4 was the McCulloch MC-4 [N4070K], a development of the JOV-3 with a 165 hp Franklin 6V4-165-832 engine. It was produced by McCulloch. Two examples designated MC-4A, were evaluated by in 1953 by the U.S. Navy as the XHUM-1 [133817/8, the first being previously N4072K]. Three examples of the slightly larger MC-4C were evaluated by the U.S. Army as the YH-30 [52-5837/5839] (whether there was a planned "MC-4B" design is not known). Neither service was able to find a use for the tiny helicopters, so they were returned to McCulloch in 1955. The MC-4C civil prototype [N4071K] was likewise unable to generate any sales. Consequently, McCulloch lost interest in the project and turned it back over to D. K. Jovanovich. He formed yet another company in 1957, the Jovair Corp., and modified the MC-4C as a four-seat private helicopter designated the Sedan 4E [N4068K], which was powered by a 210 hp Franklin 6A-335 engine. A version with a 225 hp turbocharged engine was designed as the Sedan 4ES, and a more basic version for agricultural use was the Sedan 4A. By 1965 a small number of Sedan helicopters were built. In the early 1970s, McCulloch regained the rights to the helicopter designs.
No information is available on designs #5 to #8, if they existed.
McCulloch helicopter proposals of 1952 designated MC-9, MC-10 and MC-11 have already been covered by hesham.
Note also that designations such as MC-5, MC-6, MC-7, MC-9, MC-10, MC-20, MC-45 or MC-75 were used by the company (in a totally different numbering system) for engines, notably for racing karts (the Helicopter Division being only a branch of the larger McCulloch Motors Inc.).

Surviving examples:
  • HUM-1 [133817] is in the Pima Air and Space Museum collection, while [133818] is at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino.
  • YH-30 [52-5837] is kept at the Army's Fort Rucker museum.
Selected sources:
 

Attachments

  • Jovair 4E Sedan, circa 1963.jpg
    Jovair 4E Sedan, circa 1963.jpg
    30.8 KB · Views: 8
  • McCulloch HUM-1.jpg
    McCulloch HUM-1.jpg
    149.9 KB · Views: 6
  • YH-30.jpg
    YH-30.jpg
    97.2 KB · Views: 6
  • McCulloch MC-4C.jpg
    McCulloch MC-4C.jpg
    456.8 KB · Views: 6
  • JOV-3.jpg
    JOV-3.jpg
    57.2 KB · Views: 6
  • McCulloch J-2 Gyroplane.jpg
    McCulloch J-2 Gyroplane.jpg
    132.6 KB · Views: 6
  • JOV-1.jpg
    JOV-1.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 5
  • MC-4.jpg
    MC-4.jpg
    38.9 KB · Views: 11
Last edited:
No information is available on any possible later designs. Two McCulloch helicopter proposals of 1952 designated MC-9 and MC-10 appear to have existed, but note that designations such as MC-5, MC-6, MC-7, MC-9, MC-10, MC-20, MC-45 or MC-75 were also used by the company for engines, notably for racing karts (the Helicopter Division being only a branch of the larger McCulloch Motors Inc.).

Very good work,

and for MC-9,MC-10 & MC-11,please see;

 
Back
Top Bottom