Hill HX50 helicopter

[Schalkm]

Hi Hill Helicopter fans!
I’m looking for buyers of the HX50 in South Africa specifically to connect and get advice for possible buying one myself… please share my post or contact details please…
I have been following the Hill project since the beginning but want to get together with other buyers to share experiences and hopefully get a SA mechanic trained up for everyone’s benefit…

[Fransw]

Anyone watched the update last night? What are the dates for Engine Running,
First Flight Test, and Production Start?

[Schalkm]

June 28, 2025
First Full Engine Run

December 20, 2025
First Test Flight

December 7, 2026
Production Start

Latest dates anounced last night...

Anyone watched the update last night? What are the dates for Engine Running,
First Flight Test, and Production Start?

[syphon]

Well over 20 have been ordered by South Africans. You will see this helicopter in the South African sky in the future. Seeing as I have two on order I have to be positive

When do you expect delivery /availability for final build

First deliveries are being planned for August 2023. We are HX366 so looking at roughly January 2025

And the timeline just keeps getting longer.... I know technology is getting better but how many pilots here would be willing to get into a machine that is powered by a design that will only have 6 months of bench testing?

[Peregrine]

After major milestones have slipped by a number of years, they are now able to predict these to specific days! Who still believes them?

[Fransw]

After major milestones have slipped by a number of years, they are now able to predict these to specific days! Who still believes them?

Me, more than ever before. I'm especially looking forward to see the twin and the other variants... Its gonna be worth the wait.

[Peregrine]

After major milestones have slipped by a number of years, they are now able to predict these to specific days! Who still believes them?

Me, more than ever before. I'm especially looking forward to see the twin and the other variants... Its gonna be worth the wait.

Funny how the word gullible pops up in my mind again.

[bladerunner]

Awesome news!
They have a (almost) working starter generator and a comfortable seat (almost). And some great computer stuff that needs to be integrated with stuff that does not exist yet.

All going according to plan.

[Ugly Duckling]

Awesome news!
They have a (almost) working starter generator and a comfortable seat (almost). And some great computer stuff that needs to be integrated with stuff that does not exist yet.

All going according to plan.

Using off the shelf proven starter generator, and other components, would have enabled the project to progress a lot quicker, but then it's not my money chasing his dream

[cage]

He's living the dream at everyone else's expense and with no accountability or risk to himself if it goes wrong.
And he would get to keep any IP. It's genius.
Kickstarter at a grand scale, with the best smoke and mirrors money can buy - though he'd probably reinvent those as well.
Will be interesting to see what and when something actually arrives.
So far he isn't even coming close to the delayed timelines all us skeptics suggested.

Marvellous project for entertainment value alone.

[cage]

Their last filing in 2024 only covered 2023 and we're 18 months down the drag from there.
They have taken 38M GBP in deposits, had 23M left in the bank and were burning around 8M per year.
It's difficult to track how the sales have continued, I would imagine that would be tapering somewhat.
He would have taken more deposits but I doubt it is tracking the cost base, and would be, based on previous history be another 12M down.

He won't be insulated against the tremendous cost increases all sectors have seen over the last couple of years, yet is selling a fixed price helicopter based on the old economy.
They are galloping towards the point where they will need to start producing aircraft to unlock the remaining revenue from the current investors, all patiently waiting.

[Ugly Duckling]

Production Centre one

[Rotor kop]

Production Centre one

"Yellow pilot" has aged considerably since i last saw him i wonder if the stress of this sham/pipe dream/or whatever it is is getting to him? When he started "bashing" Robinson helicopters (after he had many in his flight training school), i saw red flags and wondered what the motive was. Firstly shortly therafter he became the first agent in Canada to sell the guimble thing (cant think of its name) and then a year or so later disappeared on a bus with his family and started this project. For all the people who put money into this, and there a plenty SA guys, i hope they pull it off. But when one starts bashing another product to sell their product even though they not in the same market bracket, i cant see it being a success. Basic principles are non existant. Just saying....

[cage]

Theranos peaked at 800 employees, for a company that had imaginary product, and raised billions in funding.
Interestingly, Hill still has zero employees..
Fairy dust doesn't count.

[Kotze101]