VH-UTB (2)   Fairchild-Hiller FH-1100                            (c/n  17)

                                    

                                           VH-UTB was one of two FH-1100s imported for Helicopter Utilities at Mascot, the other
                                           being VH-UTZ.       David Carter photographed it at Mascot on December 10, 1966, two
                                           days after it was registered.     The FH-1100 never enjoyed the same success, in uniform or
                                           out,  as its competitors in the US Army’s Light Observation Helicopter program.  They were
                                           the Hughes 500, which won the contest, and the Bell 206 JetRanger, of which more than
                                           7000 were sold     . Only 250 FH-1100s were built    . The two Helicopter Utilities aircraft
                                           had short lives, with –UTB the shortest.    It crashed at Nomad River, PNG,