Hiller ROE Rotorcycle

The Hiller ROE Rotorcycle was a single-seat ultralight helicopter designed in 1953 for a military requirement. A total of 12 were produced for the United States Marine Corps. And in 1954, the Hiller Helicopters was selected by the US Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics to build this design of a one-man, foldable, self-rescue and observation helicopter. It featured a two-blade rotor system. Its original empty weight was 290 lb.

Development
The helicopter folded up and could be carried on a sled-like carrier by two people or could be air-dropped to pilots trapped behind enemy lines. The Marines did not accept the YROE due to its low performance, vulnerability to small-arms fire and the lack of visual references on the structure. This problem could cause the pilot to experience spatial disorientation at all but very low altitudes. The YROE or ROE never saw military service.

In 1954, the United States Navy′s Bureau of Aeronautics selected Hiller to build its proposed design of a one-man helicopter. The XROE Rotocycle completed flight testing in mid-1957.

It was demonstrated at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, for military and other government officials in early April 1958.

Production was by Saunders-Roe, which made five for the United States Marine Corps and five for Helicop-Air of Paris.

A Porsche engine of 62 hp developed for the YROE completed trials by 1961.

Variants

 * XROE-1
 * 2 prototypes built as Model 1033 at the Hiller Helicopter Plant in Palo Alto, California
 * The first flight in November 1956


 * YROE-1
 * 5 test versions built by British Saunders-Roe company One donated to the Smithsonian Institution after completion of its testing in 1961


 * ROE-1
 * 5 production built by Saunders-Roe (built ten production models, including the five YROE-1s)

Survivors

 * XROE-1, on display at Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, California
 * YROE-1, ser. no. 4021, on display at Hiller Aviation Museum
 * YROE-1, on display at National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
 * YROE-1, N4230U, ser. no. 4024, El Cajon, California
 * YROE-1, N777MV, ser. no. 4020, Minicopter Inc., Saginaw, Texas
 * YROE-1, third one in production on display at Evergreen Aviation Museum
 * XROE-1, repainted in blue, powered by a Rotax 503 and renamed "fantacopter", in working order at Bois-la-Pierre, France.