Silvered Wings: Helio U-10D/HT-295 Super Courier

Helio U-10D / HT-295 Super Courier N5072K

• Capacity: two
• Length: 30 feet 8 inches
• Maximum speed: 170 mph
• Cruise speed: 160 mph
• Range: 1,090 miles
• Service ceiling: 20,500 feet

The Helio Courier is a cantilever high-wing light STOL (short takeoff and landing) utility aircraft designed in 1949.

The Helio Aircraft Co. manufactured around 500 of these aircraft in Pittsburg, Kansas, from 1954-1974. The design featured four leading-edge slats that deployed automatically and large trailing-edge flaps. Couriers were famous for their takeoffs, which often took only a few plane lengths and then climbed at very high angles. The U.S. Air Force used the Super Courier, upgraded with the Lycoming GO-480-G1D6 295 horsepower engine, from 1958 onward as the U-10D.

Built for the Air Force in April 1967, Serial No.  66-14349 flew for the California Air National Guard before being transferred to Civil Air Patrol’s Oklahoma Wing in 1979. Still flying today, N5072K sports a flashy new paint scheme out of Phoenix.

Maj. Ron Finger is a freelance illustrator and member of the Minnesota Wing’s Crow Wing Composite Squadron. Recently honored by the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame as Artist of the Year, he is an Air Force Art Program artist, where a select pool of artists are assigned “art missions” to document specific U.S. Air Force operations. 

Among his duties as Civil Air Patrol’s national artist, Finger researches and creates art that portrays our historical emergency service. A personal goal is to complete paintings documenting every aircraft type CAP has flown. 

This is the 16th painting in Finger's second series of depictions of vintage CAP aircraft. More of Finger’s CAP artwork can be seen at redpine.net.

Silvered Wings No. 1 — Fleetwings Sea Bird F-401
Silvered Wings No. 2 — Curtiss-Wright 15-D Sedan
Silvered Wings No. 3 — Rearwin Sportster 7000
Silvered Wings No. 4 — Cessna U-3B “Blue Canoe”
Silvered Wings No. 5 — Aeronca C-3 (1932)
Silvered Wings No. 6 — Rearwin Sportster 900-L
Silvered Wings No. 7 —Travel Air C-4000
Silvered Wings No. 8 — Kinner “Sportster B”
Silvered Wings No. 9 — Boeing Model 40-A/B
Silvered Wings No. 10 — Brunner-Winkle "Bird," BK (1929)
Silvered Wings No. 11 —Meyers OTW-125 "Out-To-Win"
Silvered Wings No. 12 — Cessna 0-1/L-19 Bird Dog
Silvered Wings No. 13 —Monocoupe 90A 
Silvered Wings No. 14 — Silvered Wings: North American/Ryan L-17A Navion
Silvered Wings No. 15 — Aeronca LB