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The R.J. Enstrom Corporation, named after its initiator Rudy Enstrom,
was officially organised in 1959 in Menominee, Michigan. Their first
more thoroughly engineered helicopter design was the F-28. The two-seat
prototype of the F-28 was flown first on 12 November 1960, followed by
the first of two three-seat production prototypes on 26 May 1962.
Initial FAA certification was achieved for the F-28 model on 15 April 1965.
The Enstrom F-28 was built in limited quantities. A more powerful
version, the F-28A, was certified on 28 May 1968. This helicopter entered
full rate production, and over 300 helicopters of this model were
manufactured. After ownership of the company changed in January 1971, the
company name was changed into Enstrom Helicopter Corporation. A
collaboration between a Boston industrial design firm and the Enstrom
engineering team yielded a new aerodynamically styled airframe, the 280
Shark. This new model was certified on 13 September 1974 and immediately
put into production. Over the years a number of models were developed
and produced based on the body style of the 280. The single-engine Enstrom 280C was approved on 8 December 1975. This version
of the three-seat light utility helicopter has an upgraded engine, fitted with a turbocharger. |
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In 1992, Enstrom F-28F Falcon s/n 784 was registered JA7858 in Japan. In 1993, registration JA7858 was cancelled as exported to
Germany, where the helicopter was registered D-HVHM with VHM Schul- und Charterflug, Essen/Mülheim Airport. In 2005, the Enstrom
F-28F Falcon was transferred to a privat owner/operator and re-registered D-HEVA. On 26 August 2011, Enstrom F-28F Falcon D-HEVA
was amoung the helicopters of a private fly-in at the Hotel Weißer Bär in Mühlheim an der Mosel, Germany. The fly-in turned into
a disaster as the tail end of storm "Bert" brought tennis-ball size hailstones, causing extensive damage to all 18
helicopters parked in the grounds of Hotel Weisser Bär. All helicopters, including the Enstrom F-28F D-HEVA, had to be removed
by road for repaires. In December 2011, Enstrom F-28F D-HEVA was seen stored in damaged condition on a trailor at Fairoaks in the
UK. In 2012, the helicopter was repaired returned to Germany. On 22 June 2012, the Enstrom F-28F was registered PH-UGW in the
Netherlands with a privat owner/operator in Neubörger, Germany, and based at Flugplatz Leer-Papenburg. On 8 November 2013,
registration PH-UGW was cancelled and registered G-ERDW with the same privat owner/operator on 11 November 2013. As before the
1992-built Enstrom F-28F Falcon G-ERDW remained based at Leer-Papenburg, where it was seen on 22 April 2019. |
Luchtvaart déjà vu
