Stanley Hiller became interested in helicopters in the late 1930s, when he saw pictures of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 and the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300.

He bought every book on helicopter development that he could find, and in the early 1940s he began design work on the XH-44, at the age of 17.

[2] The XH-44 tipped over on its first tethered test flight with Hiller at the controls, resulting in minor damage.

[2][3] The success of the XH-44 caught the attention of Henry J. Kaiser, who funded further development of Hiller's rotor system.

[4] The original XH-44 was later moved to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, with the Hiller Aviation Museum displaying a replica in its place.