From the Jeffrey C. Evans Helicopter Archive
Three-Ship Lineup — Archive Print
A genuinely rare find: three Helicopter Air Transport Inc. Sikorsky S-51 helicopters parked together, every one marked "HAT" on the tail and "OPERATED BY HELICOPTER AIR TRANSPORT INC." along the fuselage. Close inspection confirms two registrations clearly — NC92803 and NC92804 — with a third visible registration consistent with NC13301, though less distinct in this print.
HAT operated exactly three S-51s in total: NC13301, NC92803, and NC92804. This single photograph appears to document the operator's complete S-51 fleet side by side — a meaningfully stronger and rarer image than a simple two-aircraft pairing.
Jeffrey C. Evans (1945–2025) was a respected helicopter historian, researcher, and photographer based in Southern California, and a long-term member of both the Vertical Flight Society and Vertical Aviation International. He co-authored The Bell 47 Helicopter Story: Birth of the Commercial & Military Helicopter Industry with Robert S. Petite. Vertical Magazine recognized him as a longtime contributor whose historical photographs and documents were used in the magazine's "Vertical Rewind" features.
This print was acquired as part of a group of helicopter photographs, slides, manuals, and aviation archive material purchased from Evans's California estate in 2026.
HAT is widely recognized as the world's first commercial helicopter operator, founded shortly after World War II and based at Camden Central Airport, New Jersey, serving the Philadelphia area. Its small but historically pivotal fleet of S-51s proved out passenger, charter, mail, survey, and utility helicopter possibilities almost immediately after the type became available.
8.5 x 11 inch black-and-white print on Epson Professional Paper — a modern archive/research print, not represented as a period-original press photograph. Normal handling consistent with archive/storage use; light curl/edge lift and minor edge/corner wear. Please review all photos closely.
| Subject | HAT Sikorsky S-51 fleet lineup (3 aircraft) |
| Registrations | NC92803, NC92804 confirmed; NC13301 likely |
| Format | 8.5 x 11", B&W, Epson Professional Paper |
| Subject Era | Likely 1946–1948 |
| Provenance | Jeffrey C. Evans Helicopter Archive Estate |
| Custom SKU | PHO-FLDH1-B9E9 |
Ships free, flat, between rigid stiffeners to prevent bending or creasing. Tracked shipping included.
Photos are part of the description — please review all images closely before purchasing.
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