PADC Hummingbird

The PADC Hummingbird was a light utility helicopter that was developed by the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation to reduce dependence on second-hand aircraft for the Philippine Air Force.^[2]

Hummingbird
Role	Light utility helicopter
National origin	Philippines
Manufacturer	Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation
First flight	8 May 1998[1]
Status	Cancelled
Primary user	Philippine Air Force
Number built	1 prototype
Developed from	MBB/Eurocopter Bo 105C

Design and development

During the 1980s, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) wanted to reduce dependence on foreign aircraft by starting indigenous programs. This resulted in the "Hummingbird". The project was not allowed to proceed by the government until July 1997, when then-President Fidel Ramos authorized spending.^[3]

After then-President Joseph Estrada was elected, an assessment was conducted on the Hummingbird. The review concluded that the project was likely to be unjustifiably lengthy and expensive.^[4] Another factor was that the Hummingbird was an unlicensed copy of the MBB/Eurocopter Bo 105C and Eurocopter planned to raise lawsuits regarding the project.^[5][4]

Variants

X-100A

One prototype converted from an MBB/Eurocopter Bo 105C.^[6]

Surviving aircraft

• The sole prototype is stored at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.^[6]

See also

Related development

• MBB/Eurocopter Bo 105C

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Bell 206
• Bell 407
• Bell 427
• Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil
• MD Helicopters MD Explorer

Related lists

• List of rotorcraft