Born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1889 to a family of physicians, Igor Sikorsky actually built his first helicopter at the age of 12. TheCH-53K King Stallionadvances Sikorskys 50 years of manufacturing and operational success with its CH-53A, CH-53D/G, and CH-53E predecessors. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? And ABC promised improved maneuverability over conventional helicopters. When Black Marxist Angela Davis found out her ancestors owned slaves. One of the concerns with the coaxial rotor arrangement was how to provide aircraft yaw control. Two J-60 engines and their North American Saberliner pods (which were previously used on Sikorskys S-61F experimental compound helicopter) were used for auxiliary propulsion. categorized as rotary-wing aircraft ? In another image, below, additional 3D-printed components protrude out of the weapons bay, which is open. As wecontinue to work to prove and mature the technologies that will allow the X2Technology Demonstrator to become a viable product, we are focused on testingits limits and finding out where this technology will take us," JeffreyPino, Sikorsky?s president, said recently. When they showed footage of it in a high speed run and posted the numbers, you knew it was the future. But how? The latest technology in transparent armor would be used for the aircraft windows. The US Army has not yet made any formal announcement about a long-term replacement for the Kiowa. Where a standard helicopter uses a side-facing tail rotor to offset the torque of the main rotor in front, the pusher propeller of the S-97 will assist in high-speed acceleration and deceleration. It's not an idle promise. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. . The tail contacted the ground first and the aircraft rolled over until the blades struck the ground. Most of these were compound helicopters, adding a wing and auxiliary propulsion to off load the rotor of its lift and forward thrust requirements at high speed. However, its quite possible that they go with the Boeing-Sikorsky Raider design (the SB>1s smaller brother) for scout and attack missions, where survivability and lethality are worth paying for.. To replace the Apache gunships, an aircraft needs to fly low and slow over the battlefield, ducking behind cover when enemy anti-aircraft units appear, then popping up again to fire guns and missiles. The helicopter has a small rotor at the end of a tail boom (Sikorsky) Or a fan instead of the propellor (Fenestron Aerospatiale) Or a jet thrust output (Cierva W.9, NOTAR) 4. It became apparent that the biggest challenge was going to be the construction of the rotor blades. Sikorsky Aircraft and Boeing have developed their next-generation compound helicopter, and flight testing is underway to determine if the aircraft is capable of entering the U.S. military fleet. Sikorskybuilt the X2 Technology Demonstrator in collaboration with subsidiary SchweizerAircraft, and funded the project entirely by itself. Heres how it works. Germanowski refers to that 3D-printed component as a shop aid, which he says allowed us to verify the installation procedure for the gearbox on the actual aircraft. Ultimately, the hub that holds the two top rotorswhich arent shown in these imageswill be forged from titanium. A maximum level flight speed of 240 knots was achieved, making this the first rotary wing aircraft to achieve this speed without the use of an auxiliary wing, thus proving the basic advancing blade concept. This had the integrated propulsion system with twin General Electric T700-GE-700 engines driving both the rotor system and a ducted pusher propeller. First flight occurred in June, 1973. The aircraft was designed to fly with or without the auxiliary propulsion J-60s installed. The rigid rotors provided high control power. The X2 demonstrator will feature a coaxial design (two rotors on . It was a small toy powered by rubber bands, but it would turn out to be his life's work. NY 10036. Delivered on weekdays. For example, the12-passenger S-76 helicopter flies at 178 mph, but an 11-seat BeechcraftKingAir 350 turboprop flies at 350 mph, nearly twice as fast. Bell V-280 Valor Joint Multi-Role Demonstrator (CGI graphic). Although the X2 is headed out to pasture, some of its technology will be used in Sikorsky's next helicopter, the S-97 Raider. The basic airframes there, the cockpit doors are installed, the weapons bay doors are installed, the landing gear is installed and serviced, [and] many of the electrical and hydraulic subsystems are fully installed and going through their acceptance test procedures., In the photo above, a few details stand out. Primarily the advantages were compactness and the elimination of the tail rotor; no thought or capability of using advancing blade lift was considered in these designs. Sikorsky hopes that the sleek, speedy design of the S-97, unveiled Thursday, will win the favor of the US Army as a potential replacement for OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter, an airframe whose. Courtesy of Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives, Inc. Aviation Week & Space Technology, October 12, 1970, page 65, Armor Used as Airframe for Helicopter. A compound helicopter is a little less efficient than a tiltrotor flying long distances, Sikorskys VP for innovation, Chris Van Buiten, admitted to me. With faster speeds, you get less lift capacity unless you want to pay more. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. If only we devoted as much time, money and resources to fixing the planet as we do to making systems to kill one another we might save the planet. There were many coaxial helicopter developments during and after World War II. Meanwhile, over at Bell, their FARA candidateboth companies refer to the aircraft they are working on as a competitive prototypeis the 360 Invictus, which in March was reported to be 87-percent finished. This promised to be much lighter than the armor then available and more effective at defeating ballistic threats. When it comes to the fastest helicopters, the V-22 is by far the fastest- except it isn't really a helicopter at all. Sikorsky's technology puts two main rotors on top of each other, rotating in opposite directions, which balances out the lift profile on either side and allows the craft to fly much faster up to twice the airspeed of a regular helicopter while maintaining excellent handling and agility. When the compound helicopter is hovering, the rotors on top get most of the engine power and do most of the work, much like a traditional helicopter. The retreating blades are going slower relative to the air, because they subtract the helicopters speed from their own, so they generate less lift. At low speeds, the difference between the advancing and retreating blades is negligible. Whats visible is a simulated version of a system called the modular effects launcher, which someday could carry missiles, rockets, or other kinetic objects, like drones or other sensors. The Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD) is a full-mission flight simulator that will allow flight crews to train on the full scope of Marine Corps heavy lift missions, including external lift operations, and executing degraded visual environment take-offs and landings. With these rigid rotors, the lack of a tail rotor, and the use of a separate auxiliary propulsion system, the controls were almost perfectly orthogonal. The following reference has great detail of information on the full ABC program, including manufacturing technology used, aircraft description, and ground and flight test results: American Helicopter Society paper The ABC Rotor A Historical Perspective, Robert K. Burgess. Rotor cyclic flaring is an important feature and attribute necessary for autorotation. At takeoff, this means the aircraft can lift off and move away quickly without needing to tilt forward. This proved the basic advancing blade concept and led to a contract in 1972 with the U.S. Army for the design, fabrication, and flight testing of the XH-59A advancing blade concept demonstrator aircraft. Concurrently, Sikorsky was in the early stages of developing the Advancing Blade Concept (ABC) for extending the speed range of helicopters. collectivelycalled "X2 Technology" ?that would significantly change helicopter flight. is their ability to take off and land vertically.However, compared with fixed-wing aircraft, they are slow. The Kiowa, which has been the Army's primary scout helicopter since the mid-1990s, by contrast has a cruising speed in the area of 120 mph. Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. They will be coming soon I'd imagine fb. A fixed-wing aircraft has engines to generate forward thrust jets or propellers and as it moves forward, air flows over the wings, which generates lift. Here's how the machine is coming together right now. The other is Sikorsky, whose flying machine is called the Raider X. Sikorskys candidate features coaxial top rotors: The two large rotors on top of the helicopter, which give it lift, spin in opposite directions, negating the need for a traditional tail rotor. Starting with the experimental XV-15 in the 1970s, and entering military service with the V-22 in 2007, Bell has led the industry in building tilt-rotors, winged aircraft with rotors that, well, tilt. And civilian uses are already being considered. These useful machines handle everything from tourism to search and rescue. (Move too slowly and you stall, potentially falling out of the sky). While its unclear when the Army will make a decision as to which aircraft it wants to go with for the FARA program, the FLRAA competition is further along. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. At higher speeds, moreover, helicopters run into a problem called retreating blade stall. Sikorsky's helicopters featured a sophisticated design which outperformed other manufacturers. "Experimentalaircraft have minds of their own ? Both companies agree that the Bell V-280 Valor, which has wings, is more fuel-efficient in long-range flight than the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant, which just has rotors. Two P&WA PT-6 engines were used to power the rotors. Part 2 of a narrative series illustrating how Elbit Americas USA-manufactured products enable customers to successfully accomplish their most demanding missions. His prediction: The Marines double down on tiltrotors, the Army willkeep upgrading conventional helicopters for the bulk of its fleet, and a smaller number of compound helicopters will be built as gunships and scouts. By Franois Blanc The Drive reports that that FLRAA decision could happen in September. In high speed flight the XH-59A handled as though it were a fixed wing aircraft. When it enters service, the Defiant will carry a crew of four and a cabin equipped for up to 12 combat-ready troops or eight medevac litters. Want the latest defense industry news? Despite all the differences, the fundamental selling points for both designs are speed and range. If FARA is about finding a next-gen armed scout helicopter, then FLRAA is all about choosing a larger, Black-Hawk-type helicopter. After a number of false starts over the next four years, a manufacturing method was developed that used a 17 foot 6AL-4V titanium extrusion which was machined both inside and out to produce tapered diameter and wall thickness. Presented at the 60th AHS Annual Forum, Baltimore, MD, June, 2004. Four years later, Sikorsky eventually won the competition to build the Army's new UH-60A helicopter. Transmission for a coaxial counter rotating rotor system Abstract A transmission system for a hybrid aircraft is driven by a plurality of driveshafts and drives a translational propulsion. This is not correct. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, takes pride in the vital role that manufacturing in America plays in improving lives around the world. Sikorsky and Boeing hope that the Army chooses this flying machine to be its next Black-Hawk-type aircraft, as it's a candidate in a program called FLRAA, which stands for Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.Defiant's competition comes from Bell, whose entry into the showdown is called the V-280 Valor.Unlike the Defiant, the V-280 is a tiltrotor aircraft, meaning that large rotors on the . The speed, which was achieved in level flight during a 1.1-hour flight on Wednesday, September 15, is an unofficial speed record for a helicopter, easily beating the current . By using armor plate as the primary fuselage structure one-third of the helicopters normal support structure was eliminated and it was projected that there would be a two-thirds reduction in production labor. CSSCustPortalSuppt@sikorsky.com. This would be great for turbulant rescues, say at sea. The CFTD replicates the functionality, flight characteristics, mission profiles and unmatched capabilities of the CH-53K helicopter. On June 6,2005, Sikorsky announced that it would build and test a technology demonstratorthat would maneuver like a conventional helicopter and cruise at 250 knots (288mph), which is at least 60 percent faster than conventional helicopters. The review board is being very thorough and the contract awardee will be announced when the board completes its review, an Army spokesperson said via email, regarding FLRAA. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the ArmyAcquisition, Logistics & Technology. Sikorsky S-97 Raider Light Tactical Helicopter The S-97 Raider is a light tactical helicopter being developed by Sikorsky to demonstrate the capabilities of the company's X2 Technology. In general, tiltrotors dont offer the kind of agility and maneuverability that a compound design does, said Richard Aboulafia, aviation analyst at the Teal Group. Kris Osborn is Defense Editor for theNational Interest. The XH-59B program was not funded. The company plans to demonstrate the aircraft's capabilities to the US military beginning in 2015. [4] Contour flight handling qualities revealed the XH-59A is capable of crossing terrain in high speed (215 knots) contour flight, thus reducing the reaction time available to the enemy targets and defenses. Design studies showed that four-bladed rotors would dramatically reduce the rotors vibratory characteristics. This had been used successfully on most coaxial helicopters in the past. This human and technical feat has given rise to a family of aircraft that have been entered into the history of aviation. Oct 26, 1972 : Igor Sikorsky dies due a heart attack at the age of 83. One month later the first XH-59A aircraft experienced a low speed accident on the flight field. The American design layout with counter-clockwise rotor motion can be traced at least as far back as Igor Sikorsky's R-4 helicopter developed during the early 1940s, several years before the end of World War II. If this scout helicopter sounds similar in design to another from Sikorsky, thats because it is. S-70A-1 Desert Hawk; variant for Saudi Arabian military S-70A-1L Saudi Desert Hawk Medevac variant S-70A-5 Variant for Philippine Air Force S-70A-9 The tilt-rotor has two counter-rotating main rotors or propellers that are mounted on engine nacelles at the ends of a short wing. He writes occasionally, on topics from GPS to James Bond. The test envelope was expanded to level flight at 156 knots, dive speeds to 186 knots, and altitudes to 14,000 feet. The S-68 was a conceptual design for a small commercial aircraft using S-58T components. As a result, the control system was designed with a very low gain to prevent the controls from being too sensitive. Auxiliary propulsion flights were conducted from April 1978 to January 1981. The coaxial design is uncommon, but not unprecedented -- it's long been a distinguishing characteristic of helicopters from Russian manufacturer Kamov. SpaceX Crew-6 astronaut launch: Live updates, Heli-Skiing: Winter Thrills in Remote Areas, Marvel's 'Star Wars' comics celebrate Women's History Month with Peach Momoko covers. However, when the pilots moved out of hover to transition to forward flight, the aircraft tended to nose up. It was proposed by the Serbian man Dragoljub . What's even more unusual element is the pusher rotor at the rear. Sikorsky hopes that the sleek, speedy design of the S-97, unveiled Thursday, will win the favor of the US Army as a potential replacement for OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter, an airframe whose history dates back to the Vietnam War era, and as an aerial platform for special operations units. Nothing political here. X2Technology helicopters will affect passenger travel due to substantiallyreduced flight times. That is a helicopter, not this bulky overly complexed strange concept idea worked into a "commercial" vehicle, New quantum state boosts material's conductivity by a billion percent, GE installs world's first spiral-welded wind turbine tower, BAE unveils the Strix, a fascinating, tail-sitting X-wing VTOL UAV. Here are more target drones for your ne Compared to conventional helicopters, the counter-rotating coaxial setup and pusher propeller offer a significant speed increase, a 60 percent . Up to twice as fast as a regular helicopter. The turret thats installed on the aircraft is the real deal flight-worthy turret, Germanowski says, with the actuation motors, and the motor controller unit, and all of the electronics that allow us to swivel the gun in azimuth, and pitch the gun in elevation., [Related: Sikorskys fancy new helicopter completed its longest flight yet]. This design delivers that, plus incredible speed. The main fuselage of the AARV was to be constructed from half-inch thick dual hardness armor. Click Sikorsky and Boeing have been working on this high-speed, long-range, ultra-maneuverable military helicopter design for some time, and now they've released the first photos of what is expected to become a highly effective US Army utility helicopter sometime in the 2030s. 1.1. Rival contractors Bell and Sikorsky (part of Lockheed Martin) both say they have transcended those limits to build dramatically faster rotorcraft, but they have taken very different paths. Both pilots were uninjured. Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com. In 1972, both Boeing and Sikorsky were contracted to develop prototypes for this new breed of combat helicopter. High-power engines are necessary to drive rotating blades, which . So it should be no surprise that, ahead of next weeks mammoth Association of the US Army conference in Washington, Bell flew reporters out to its factory here to talk up the V-280 Valor and to denigrate the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant. The XH-59A proved the basic advancing blade concept, achieving a level flight speed of 240 knots without the use of a wing, a feat never before accomplished by the helicopter industry. "Sikorsky will begin ground testing shortly and is on track for first flight this year," Steve Engebretson, Sikorsky's director of advanced military programs, said in an emailed statement. "The entire rest of the flight program will take about a year to complete.". This can get so unbalanced that it threatens to tip the helicopter over altogether if you don't stay beneath a defined maximum airspeed. Sikorsky hopes the X2 will fly. This project involved both Army and company funds over a two and a half year period. Although thetop speed of helicopters has not increased much since the 1960s, improvementsin computers, materials, navigation systems, and other aspects of aircraftduring the past two generations have been unprecedented. Igor Sikorskys predictions for air travel in general and for helicopters in particular have been largely realized or surpassed. This became the XH-59A, the subject of another chapter in this Sikorsky Product History section. There were no hinges in the design. At high speeds, Gehler claimed, tiltrotors are far and away more maneuverable than compound helicopters: Right now, compound coax is having challenges turning at high speed., Thats true of less sophisticated compound helicopter designs, said Van Buiten, but not of theirs, in large part because of the two counter-rotating rotors. Theyve learned a lot since they built the V-22, said V-280 program manager Chris Gehler, and theyve radically upgraded the low-speed handling qualities, he told reporters in Amarillo. Some balance is needed in order to keep the machine stable--usually either another, counter-rotating rotor or a small vertically-mounted tail rotor. In these tests the armor plate was dented but not penetrated from shots of 30-cal ball at zero range and 50-cal weapons at longer ranges. A composite rotor system, with flexbeams replacing the pitch bearings, would replace the heavy titanium blades on the A version. : The Future Vertical Lift program aims to create revolutionary replacements for todays military helicopters. Rob Verger is the Technology Editor at Popular Science, where he leads a team of journalists who cover everything from transportation and the military to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. k k k First Flights 35. positions. The X2 Raider prototypes will be fitted with a pusher-propeller and twin coaxial counter-rotating main rotors, replacing one main rotor and a tail rotor. During this period the Navy, Air Force, and NASA joined the Army in providing funding support. Sikorsky planned to offer it for the United States Army 's Armed Aerial Scout program, along with other possible uses. One of the unique features of the XH-59A gearbox was an ability to create differential rotor speed, which would provide yawing moments which did not reverse in autorotation. The U.S. Army capped its formal participation in the program in May 1981 with an operational evaluation of the aircraft at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. (With a tiltrotor,) while it is efficient in its cruising mission, it struggles when it gets to the objective.. This article first appeared last month. Just innovation. In a more developed design, a single propulsion system would power both the rotor and an auxiliary propulsion propeller or ducted fan. Someday, the Army could welcome a new scout helicopter into its fleet. Putting it simply, at a stable hover with no ambient wind, a helicopter's top blade generates an equal amount of lift throughout its whole rotation around the central axis. - The counter-rotating blade is basedupon innovative engineering methods that combines airplane-like speeds with the hovering and maneuvering capabilities unique to helicopters. (Source: US Air Force.) The CH-53K Test Flight team has our most experienced and seasoned engineers, pilots, maintainers and support staff. And why? At the aircrafts nose is a simulated weapona 3D-printed substitute for the actual 20mm cannon that would someday hang from under the aircraft in the same spot. 1. in the industry,? Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. Military Potential of the ABC, George Price, American Helicopter Society Vertiflight magazine, November/December, 1982. Sikorsky Delivers 5,000th "Hawk," Highlights Versatility and Future of Iconic Helicopter. 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