Catching a Saturn 5 with a Hiller...

[Nige321]

Don't laugh, it was thought about... (https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3741/1)


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/600x400/3741b_6eec8062d7c10ae270030aef968f9b30af762f85.jpg
But back in 1965 the company made a proposal so bold that it bordered on insane: a giant helicopter with a rotor diameter bigger than the length of a football field, capable not only of transporting a Saturn V S-1C first stage, but of actually catching it in midair as it fell on a parachute.

[SASless]

I would submit you have used the boldest example of British Understatement in history. "Bordered on the insane....."?

[TURIN]

Wow, nothing new under the sun eh? New Zealand based launcher Rocket Labs has plans to do the same with its Electron rockets.

[Agile]

If I remember the RRPM was increadibly low on those football field length blades, (~10RPM)

[tartare]

Wow, nothing new under the sun eh? New Zealand based launcher Rocket Labs has plans to do the same with its Electron rockets.

...`cept they used a humble AS350 if I remembers correctly.

[500 Fan]

https://youtu.be/MHaxySnEPTc

500 Fan.

[sandiego89]

What could possibly go wrong?

The small Hiller museum near San Francisco is worth a visit if you are a rotary wing fan. Some interesting stuff. Not enough for multiple visits but glad I went once.

[treadigraph]

I stumbled on the Hiller Museum at San Carlos Airport during a visit to San Francisco - it is indeed well worth a visit. I missed anything they had on the Saturn catcher!