Helio Aircraft U-10 / H-395 Super Courier

Single Piston

The Helio Super Courier is a remarkable short takeoff and landing aircraft that defined backcountry flying capability in the 1950s and 1960s. Designed by Otto Koppen at Harvard and built by Helio Aircraft in Massachusetts, the Super Courier achieved what seemed impossible at the time: a full-size four-to-six-seat aircraft that could operate from spaces shorter than a football field. Its secret lay in full-span automatic leading-edge slats, large slotted flaps, and a powerful Lycoming GO-480 engine driving a constant-speed propeller—engineering that delivered a stall speed below 35 knots and takeoff rolls under 500 feet at gross weight. The U-10 military variant saw extensive service with the U.S. Army and Air Force in Southeast Asia, where its ability to land on jungle roads, remote hilltops, and improvised strips made it invaluable for liaison, reconnaissance, and covert insertion missions. Civilian operators prized the type for missionary work, bush flying in Alaska and Canada, and aerial survey in terrain where conventional aircraft simply could not go. While production ended in 1974 after roughly 500 aircraft were built, the Super Courier remains legendary among STOL enthusiasts for performance that still impresses today—many examples continue flying in demanding backcountry operations where its unique capabilities remain unmatched by modern designs. SkyMeter has tracked 4 flights across 3 airframes and 3 operators over routes, with BRYAN MATTHEW J the most frequently observed operator.