Travel: Compact in the Sky

The long-distance commuter, frazzled by freeway traffic and weary of club-car chatter, has known for some time that there was a way out of it all. He could buy a helicopter. All it took was money—usually about $45,000 of it. In late 1961 Hughes Tool Co. produced a turbine-powered two-seater model that sold for $22,500, but few commuters could afford even such a bargain. Last week Hughes made the sky attainable.

By arrangement with the Commercial Credit Co., Hughes now offers an easy-payment plan for helicopter buyers, putting them on a par with car buyers. One automobile dealer, San Francisco's...

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