Helio U-5A Twin Courier US Air Force

These are 1/72 scale decals for the Helio U-5A Twin Courier, serial 90336, operated by both the United States Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency — one of the most intriguing and seldom-modeled utility aircraft of the Cold War era.

The Helio U-5A Twin Courier was a twin-engine development of the legendary Helio Courier STOL family, designed to operate from the shortest and most primitive airstrips imaginable. With its full-span leading-edge slats, large flaps, and docile low-speed handling, the Twin Courier could take off and land in distances that would be impossible for conventional aircraft — making it ideally suited for clandestine operations in remote and denied areas. The U-5A designation reflected its adoption by the USAF as a utility transport for special missions.

The CIA's Air Branch — operating through proprietary airlines and front organizations — made extensive use of STOL aircraft like the Helio Courier family throughout Southeast Asia, Latin America, and other Cold War hotspots. The Twin Courier's ability to access remote highland strips and jungle clearings made it a natural fit for the Agency's covert logistics and personnel insertion missions, operating in the shadows alongside better-known CIA assets like the C-46 and Pilatus Porter.

Serial 90336 represents a rare dual-service subject with a genuinely clandestine history — a unique addition to any Cold War or special operations collection. Please allow some time for decal printing and shipping.