Enstrom Helicopter Corporation

Enstrom began by attempting to design his own helicopter. His lack of training in this area meant that his first efforts were not outstanding, but his efforts were noticed by local Upper Peninsula businessmen, who decided to back him.Stephen Pope, Enstrom 480B, Flying, September 2011, pp. 60-65 They recruited several experienced aeronautical engineers, and the group was incorporated as the R.J. Enstrom Co. (1959).

The company's first product was the piston-powered F-28 (1965). However, Enstrom had been removed from the company before that product came onto the market, although the company continued to carry his name.Enstrom was self-employed as a heating contractor for 10 years after leaving the company that he helped to create. In 1979 he was named Chief Engineer of Hillman Helicopter (Phoenix, Arizona), but that company folded a few years later when its founder, Douglas Hillman, was killed while flying a test helicopter. Enstrom continued working on individual projects, but did not produce another marketable product. He died in 2007. (from Flying p. 63-64)

In October 1968, a controlling interest in Enstrom was bought by Purex Industries, who wanted to develop a turbine powered version, a project that was not completed until over 20 years later. The lack of success with this venture led the piston engine variants to languish and the Purex stake was bought by F. Lee Bailey, a well-known American criminal defense attorney, in January 1971, changing to the current name.{{Cite web|url=http://www.enstromhelicopter.com/enstrom_new/enstrom_history_1970.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091123200122/http://www.enstromhelicopter.com/enstrom_new/enstrom_history_1970.html|url-status=dead|title=Enstrom Website|archivedate=November 23, 2009}} Bailey was an enthusiastic entrepreneur and soon had the factory producing over a hundred helicopters per year. He also orchestrated the development and certification of the 280 Shark, which was introduced to the market in 1974. It was an immediate sales success.Flying, p. 64 Encouraged, Bailey embarked the design of a four-place stretched version of the Shark (designated 280L Hawk), but the combination of technical problems with this development and a cooling economy drained the company's financial reserves, and Bailey sold the company in 1979. Since then it has changed hands several times. Owners have included Victor Kiam and Dean Kamen, developer of the Segway PT people-mover.{{Cite web|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/dean-kamen-1208-4|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231054911/http://www.esquire.com/features/dean-kamen-1208-4|url-status=dead|title=How Dean Kamen's Magical Water Machine Could Save the World|work=Esquire|archivedate=December 31, 2009}}

Kamen worked to improve the company's existing products and to introduce the turbine-powered 480, which was originally developed as a response to a request for bids on a military training helicopter.The proposed military trainer would have been designated TH28. The company's proposal was not successful; Bell Helicopter won the bid. (Flying, p. 65) The company was sold to an unnamed Swiss investor in 2000; Kamen remained with the company as an advisor. In January 2013 the company was purchased by the Chongqing Helicopter Investment Corporation of the People's Republic of China.

Jerry M. Mullins was president and CEO of Heli-Dyne Systems Inc. in Hurst, Texas before he succeeded the former CEO Peter Parsinen.{{cite web|url=http://www.eaa.org/ehotline/issues/031114.html|title= Newsletter |author= Experimental Aircraft Association |author-link= Experimental Aircraft Association |work=eaa.org|access-date=July 6, 2018|archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20110605233913/http://www.eaa.org/ehotline/issues/031114.html |archivedate=June 5, 2011}} Prior to Mullins, the president and chief executive officer was Steve Daniels.{{cite web|url= https://www.rotorandwing.com/2004/04/01/a-new-aircraft-for-the-market/|title=A New Aircraft for the Market? |access-date= 25 February 2022|work= Rotor & Wing|date= 1 April 2004|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170908020201/https://www.rotorandwing.com/2004/04/01/a-new-aircraft-for-the-market/|archive-date= 8 September 2017|url-status= live}}

Since delivering their first helicopter shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration type certification of the F-28 model in April 1965, Enstrom produced over 1,100 helicopters, up to July 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/|title=Rotor & Wing International - The Business Resource for Rotorcraft Management|website=Rotor & Wing International|date=May 11, 2015 |access-date=July 6, 2018}}Flying, p. 63 However, the Great Recession considerably slowed its output and the company dropped to only 60 employees. It built only six helicopters in 2010. By early 2013 with Chinese investment the company was expanding, having increased its workforce to 200 people and planned to expand its physical facilities, due to increased sales, mostly in Asia. In 2013 the company built 26 helicopters.

The company produced three models, the F-28, the more aerodynamic 280 and the turbine-engined 480, each with their own variants. The F-28 and 280 are powered by Lycoming piston engines similar to those found in general aviation fixed-wing aircraft.

A hallmark of Enstrom's helicopter designs was the lack of exposed pitch change links for the main rotor, as the mechanisms are contained inside the hollow main rotor shaft, lowering aerodynamic drag.

Enstrom was contracted by the Venezuelan government in 2014 to supply sixteen training variants of the Enstrom 480 helicopter to the country's armed forces. The deal marked the first time Venezuela had purchased a helicopter from a U.S. manufacturer in a decade. The deal included spare parts and technical assistance.{{cite web | last=Tomkins | first=Richard | title=Venezuela orders U.S.-made helicopters | website=UPI | date=2014-05-08 | url=https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2014/05/08/Venezuela-orders-US-made-helicopters/7851399574168/ | access-date=2022-12-19}}{{cite web | title=Venezuela signs contract for 16 Enstrom 480B helicopters | website=Corporate Jet Investor | date=2014-02-28 | url=https://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/news/venezuela-signs-contract-16-enstrom-480b-helicopters/ | access-date=2022-12-19}} The first of the helicopters were delivered in October 2015.{{cite web | last=InfoDefensa | first=Revista Defensa | title=Venezuela recibe los cuatro primeros helicópteros de entrenamiento Enstrom 480B | website=Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa | date=2015-10-27 | url=https://www.infodefensa.com/texto-diario/mostrar/3134365/venezuela-recibe-cuatro-primeros-helicopteros-entrenamiento-enstrom-480b | language=es | access-date=2022-12-19}}

Enstrom ranked third in sales of piston helicopters, with 22 machines delivered in 2018 and 16 in 2019.{{cite web|title=Effondrement des livraisons d'hélicoptères en 2019|url=https://www.aerobuzz.fr/breves-helicoptere/effondrement-des-livraisons-dhelicopteres-en-2019|website=www.aerobuzz.fr|language=fr|date=20 February 2020|access-date=21 February 2020}}

In January 2022 the company declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy due to "several financial difficulties". Technical support for Enstrom customers ceased on January 19, 2022 and the Menominee factory closed on January 21, 2022. At the time of its closure the company had 30 employees. A number of companies expressed interest in buying the company's assets and re-opening the business.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/01/19/enstrom-helicopter-corporation-filing-bankruptcy/|title=Menominee's Enstrom Helicopter closing, filing for bankruptcy|first=TV6 News|last=Team|website=uppermichiganssource.com|date=January 19, 2022 }}{{Cite web|url=https://fox11online.com/news/business/enstrom-helicopter-to-close-declare-bankruptcy|title=Enstrom Helicopter to close|first=Scott |last=Hurley|work=FOX 11 News|date=January 19, 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbay.com/2022/01/19/enstrom-helicopter-corporation-filing-bankruptcy/|title=Enstrom Helicopter Corporation filing bankruptcy, closing in Menominee|first=WBAY news|last=staff|website=wbay.com|date=January 19, 2022 }}

MidTex Aviation intended to purchase Enstrom's assets in March 2022, in a deal approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan as part of the Chapter 7 liquidation process. MidTex planned to manufacture parts for the existing Enstrom fleet and also build new aircraft, through the formation of a new company, Enstrom Aerospace Industries, to be located in the old Enstrom plant at Menominee, Michigan. MidTex Aviation's financing was not secured and the purchase failed.{{cite web|url= https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/enstrom-finds-new-owner/|title= Enstrom Finds New Owner|access-date= 14 March 2022|last= O'Connor|first= Kate|work= AVweb|date= 11 March 2022 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20220314124121/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/enstrom-finds-new-owner/|archive-date= 14 March 2022|url-status= live}}

In May 2022 Surack Enterprises purchased Enstrom with the initial aim of restarting parts production, followed by helicopter production and the development of new products to "improve and update" the Enstrom fleet. In December 2022, the company was granted an FAA production certificate, allowing the manufacturing of parts under company quality control. The first new-production helicopter, an Enstrom 480B, was flown in January 2023. In April 2023 the company announced the sale of two 480Bs to the Zambian Air Force, which will be among the first new production helicopters delivered since the company's sale.{{cite web|url= https://www.avweb.com/multimedia/podcast/podcast-new-enstrom-owner-strikes-an-enthusiastic-note/|title= Podcast: New Enstrom Owner Strikes An Enthusiastic Note|access-date= 15 June 2022|last= Phelps|first= Mark|work= AVweb|date= 28 June 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220629113350/https://www.avweb.com/multimedia/podcast/podcast-new-enstrom-owner-strikes-an-enthusiastic-note/|archive-date= 29 June 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/enstrom-receives-faa-production-certificate/|title= Enstrom Receives FAA Production Certificate|access-date= 16 December 2022|last= O'Connor|first= Kate |work= AVweb|date= 15 December 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20221216194657/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/enstrom-receives-faa-production-certificate/|archive-date= 16 December 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/enstrom-inks-deal-for-two-helicopters-with-zambias-air-force/|title= Enstrom Inks Deal For Two Helicopters With Zambia's Air Force|access-date= 25 April 2023 |last= Phelps|first= Mark|work= AVweb |date= 24 April 2023|archive-url= https://archive.today/20230425113212/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/enstrom-inks-deal-for-two-helicopters-with-zambias-air-force/|archive-date= 25 April 2023|url-status= live}}

• Enstrom F-27 c. 1957-1960
• Enstrom F-28 – piston engine
• Enstrom TH180 – training (piston engine)[http://www.enstromhelicopter.com/helicopters/1804-2/ TH180] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140301205423/http://www.enstromhelicopter.com/helicopters/1804-2/ |date=March 1, 2014 }} - Enstrom training helicopter
• Enstrom 280 – aerodynamically restyled F-28
• Enstrom 480 – turbine engine

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.enstromhelicopter.com}}
• [http://www.helis.com/Since80s/h_esf28.php Enstrom page on The Helicopter History site]

{{Enstrom aircraft}}

Category:Helicopter manufacturers of the United States

Category:Companies based in Michigan

Category:American companies established in 1959

Category:2012 mergers and acquisitions

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2022

Category:Companies that have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy