Sikorsky X2 coaxial heli developments.
Yes the XH59A had performance, but it also had many problems that technology back then could not overcome.
I’ve no doubt Sikorsky learnt a great deal from the XH59A, but I would suggest that without fly-by-wire control technology and material advancements allowing for a reduction in high vibrations for one, further investment at the time would have achieved little reward.
Igor Sikorsky did not invent the helicopter, but he was the first to build a safe and practical platform that could be put into production.
Clearly Sikorsky feels confident enough that the data gleaned from the X2 flight test program justifies a continuation of ABC funding to the next phase, this being the X-97 Raider.
As it’s UTC’s money (and not that of the US taxpayer) they are spending, clearly they feel they could be on to a winner.
I’ve no doubt Sikorsky learnt a great deal from the XH59A, but I would suggest that without fly-by-wire control technology and material advancements allowing for a reduction in high vibrations for one, further investment at the time would have achieved little reward.
Igor Sikorsky did not invent the helicopter, but he was the first to build a safe and practical platform that could be put into production.
Clearly Sikorsky feels confident enough that the data gleaned from the X2 flight test program justifies a continuation of ABC funding to the next phase, this being the X-97 Raider.
As it’s UTC’s money (and not that of the US taxpayer) they are spending, clearly they feel they could be on to a winner.
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Just the facts.
Igor Sikorsky did not invent the helicopter, but he was the first to build a safe and practical platform that could be put into production.
Some interesting weekend reading that might clear up a few misconceptions. The Luftwaffe Profile 06 - Flettner FL-282.pdf
It may also be interesting to know that Flettner's twin rotor FL282 [on page 5] preceded Sikorsky's, and that Flettner's twin propeller FL185 [on page 4] preceded Eurocopter's Xcubed.
Flettner ~ the unacknowledged genius.
Dave
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Dave, at the risk of going off topic:
Surely the Kolibri was not ABC because the retreating blades were not actually unloaded? The rotor shafts just were not designed with the intention of supporting fully asymmetrically loaded rotors. From memory of the assembly I saw in Coventry (I sent you photos) the hub was more or less articulated: with the direction of rotation chosen for optimal sideslip-yaw coupling would lead to unloaded retreating blades flapping down to considerable extent, along with flap back if ABC was attempted.
I'm not trying to diminish Flettner's genius, but just saying that high speed was not his design intent (at that stage).
Surely the Kolibri was not ABC because the retreating blades were not actually unloaded? The rotor shafts just were not designed with the intention of supporting fully asymmetrically loaded rotors. From memory of the assembly I saw in Coventry (I sent you photos) the hub was more or less articulated: with the direction of rotation chosen for optimal sideslip-yaw coupling would lead to unloaded retreating blades flapping down to considerable extent, along with flap back if ABC was attempted.
I'm not trying to diminish Flettner's genius, but just saying that high speed was not his design intent (at that stage).
Last edited by Graviman; 13th Oct 2011 at 11:41. Reason: Clarity only.
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Mart,
My posting was a response to an error in the preceding post. Igor Sikorsky was NOT "the first to build a safe and practical platform that could be put into production."
The second sentence was anecdotal information on Flettner. It relates to the fact that he preceded both Sikorsky and Eurocopter in building a configuration with twin rotors and building a configuration with single rotor with twin propellers. A subject that happens to be topical today.
If super-rigid rotors (ABC), is the subject, then anecdotally, Hiller preceded Sikorsky. Hiller X-2-235
We should give credit where credit is due.
Dave
My posting was a response to an error in the preceding post. Igor Sikorsky was NOT "the first to build a safe and practical platform that could be put into production."
The second sentence was anecdotal information on Flettner. It relates to the fact that he preceded both Sikorsky and Eurocopter in building a configuration with twin rotors and building a configuration with single rotor with twin propellers. A subject that happens to be topical today.
If super-rigid rotors (ABC), is the subject, then anecdotally, Hiller preceded Sikorsky. Hiller X-2-235
We should give credit where credit is due.
Dave
Dubai
Kevin Bredenbeck won the Flightglobal Aviator of the Year Award for flying the X2:
Aviator of the year
Aviator of the year
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got this pic at the stuart air show last weekend. talked to one of the guys on the project. lots of potential there. just crank up that prop.
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S-97 Raider supplier selection
Great photo, TurboEddie. Really shows and contrasts the different aerodynamic systems required for this technology.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has selected 35 companies to join its team assembling two prototype S-97 RAIDER™ helicopters for evaluation by the U.S. military. Self-funded by Sikorsky and its team members, the RAIDER program will demonstrate the military applications of Sikorsky’s break-through X2™ rotorcraft design, which proved its capability in 2010 to double the cruise speed of conventional helicopters.
Sikorsky announced its supplier team during the Association of the United States Army’s ILW Aviation Symposium and Exposition, National Harbor, Md.
“As designer and integrator of a next-generation light tactical helicopter capable of outperforming conventional helicopters in almost every performance parameter, it was imperative we chose our suppliers for the maturity of their advanced aerospace products and technologies,” said Doug Shidler, Sikorsky’s RAIDER program manager. “Product maturity will enable Sikorsky to demonstrate the RAIDER helicopter’s flight and aerodynamic performance in a simulated military environment starting in 2014, and ultimately bring X2-designed helicopters to future customers quickly and at a very affordable price.”
The majority of the RAIDER team members are U.S.-based companies from 20 states.
Structures: Aurora (Va., Miss.); Cytec (Calif., N.Y.); East/West Industries
(N.Y.); Fischer (Germany); Hexcel (Conn., Utah); PPG (Calif.); Triumph Group
(Wash.).
Avionics: Avionics Instruments (N.J.); BAE Systems (N.Y.); Eaton (Miss.);
Esterline Control Systems (Calif., Ill., Wash.); Garmin (Kan.); Goodrich (Fla.,
Minn.); Hamilton Sundstrand (Conn.); Honeywell (Ariz.); Lockheed Martin (N.Y.); Northrop Grumman (Calif.).
Propulsion: Ametek (N.Y.); Ducommun (N.Y.); Eaton (Mich.); General Electric
(Mass.); Honeywell (Ariz.); Liquid Measurement Systems (Vt.); Meggitt-USA (Ga., Calif.); Spectrum (Conn.); TIGHITCO (Conn.).
Rotors and transmission: Emerson-McGill (Ind.); Fatigue Technology (Wash.); FAG Canada; Goodrich (N.Y.); Hamilton Sundstrand (Conn., Ill.); Kamatics (Conn.); LORD Corp. (Pa.); Pankl Aerospace (Calif.); Parker Aerospace (Calif., Ga.); Schultz (Calif.); SIFCO (Ohio); Triumph Group (Utah, Mich.).
Blades: Cytec (Calif., N.Y.); Eagle Aviation Technologies (Va.); Hexcel (Conn., Utah); Rotating Composites (Conn.).
The RAIDER aircraft program follows Sikorsky’s successful X2 TECHNOLOGY™
demonstrator helicopter, which in September 2010 achieved more than 250 knots (287 mph) flight speed, or twice the average cruise speed of a conventional helicopter. The National Aeronautic Association awarded Sikorsky the 2010 Robert J. Collier Trophy for the achievement, and for its potential as a future rotorcraft technology.
Sikorsky will invest about 75 percent of the RAIDER program’s expected cost,
with suppliers investing about 25 percent. Like the X2 demonstrator aircraft, the single engine S-97 RAIDER helicopter will feature coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller to provide cruise speeds up to 220 knots (253 mph) with dash speeds up to 240 knots (276 mph) or higher.
“We anticipate these S-97 RAIDER prototypes will provide dramatic improvements over conventional helicopters in maneuverability, range, endurance, altitude and hover efficiency — in addition to speed,” said Chris Van Buiten, Vice President of Sikorsky Innovations, the advanced engineering and development division of Sikorsky Aircraft that has pioneered the X2 design. “These attributes of the RAIDER aircraft could very well change the way the U.S. military fights with helicopters.”
While the RAIDER aircraft will showcase the X2 design’s considerable airframe
and flight characteristics, its configuration as a light tactical helicopter
will enable Sikorsky to offer the aircraft as a candidate for the U.S. Army’s
Armed Aerial Scout helicopter competition. The U.S. Army is seeking a new
aircraft to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter.
With a maximum gross weight of approximately 11,000 lbs, the RAIDER helicopter will offer full operational performance at speeds and altitudes more than twice the capability of today’s light tactical helicopters.
The Raider cockpit will feature side-by-side seating for two pilots. For armed
reconnaissance and light attack missions, the aircraft can host a variety of
sensors and externally-mounted weapons, with the flexibility to carry additional fuel and ammunition for extended missions. In a light utility or special operations configuration, the helicopter cabin will carry up to six troops.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in
aircraft design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in
Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.
Sikorsky Lines Up Suppliers For Its Prototype RAIDER Helicopter | Ottawa Citizen
Looks like Nick Lappos is being kept busy.
Originally Posted by David Pugliese for Ottawa Citizen
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has selected 35 companies to join its team assembling two prototype S-97 RAIDER™ helicopters for evaluation by the U.S. military. Self-funded by Sikorsky and its team members, the RAIDER program will demonstrate the military applications of Sikorsky’s break-through X2™ rotorcraft design, which proved its capability in 2010 to double the cruise speed of conventional helicopters.
Sikorsky announced its supplier team during the Association of the United States Army’s ILW Aviation Symposium and Exposition, National Harbor, Md.
“As designer and integrator of a next-generation light tactical helicopter capable of outperforming conventional helicopters in almost every performance parameter, it was imperative we chose our suppliers for the maturity of their advanced aerospace products and technologies,” said Doug Shidler, Sikorsky’s RAIDER program manager. “Product maturity will enable Sikorsky to demonstrate the RAIDER helicopter’s flight and aerodynamic performance in a simulated military environment starting in 2014, and ultimately bring X2-designed helicopters to future customers quickly and at a very affordable price.”
The majority of the RAIDER team members are U.S.-based companies from 20 states.
Structures: Aurora (Va., Miss.); Cytec (Calif., N.Y.); East/West Industries
(N.Y.); Fischer (Germany); Hexcel (Conn., Utah); PPG (Calif.); Triumph Group
(Wash.).
Avionics: Avionics Instruments (N.J.); BAE Systems (N.Y.); Eaton (Miss.);
Esterline Control Systems (Calif., Ill., Wash.); Garmin (Kan.); Goodrich (Fla.,
Minn.); Hamilton Sundstrand (Conn.); Honeywell (Ariz.); Lockheed Martin (N.Y.); Northrop Grumman (Calif.).
Propulsion: Ametek (N.Y.); Ducommun (N.Y.); Eaton (Mich.); General Electric
(Mass.); Honeywell (Ariz.); Liquid Measurement Systems (Vt.); Meggitt-USA (Ga., Calif.); Spectrum (Conn.); TIGHITCO (Conn.).
Rotors and transmission: Emerson-McGill (Ind.); Fatigue Technology (Wash.); FAG Canada; Goodrich (N.Y.); Hamilton Sundstrand (Conn., Ill.); Kamatics (Conn.); LORD Corp. (Pa.); Pankl Aerospace (Calif.); Parker Aerospace (Calif., Ga.); Schultz (Calif.); SIFCO (Ohio); Triumph Group (Utah, Mich.).
Blades: Cytec (Calif., N.Y.); Eagle Aviation Technologies (Va.); Hexcel (Conn., Utah); Rotating Composites (Conn.).
The RAIDER aircraft program follows Sikorsky’s successful X2 TECHNOLOGY™
demonstrator helicopter, which in September 2010 achieved more than 250 knots (287 mph) flight speed, or twice the average cruise speed of a conventional helicopter. The National Aeronautic Association awarded Sikorsky the 2010 Robert J. Collier Trophy for the achievement, and for its potential as a future rotorcraft technology.
Sikorsky will invest about 75 percent of the RAIDER program’s expected cost,
with suppliers investing about 25 percent. Like the X2 demonstrator aircraft, the single engine S-97 RAIDER helicopter will feature coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller to provide cruise speeds up to 220 knots (253 mph) with dash speeds up to 240 knots (276 mph) or higher.
“We anticipate these S-97 RAIDER prototypes will provide dramatic improvements over conventional helicopters in maneuverability, range, endurance, altitude and hover efficiency — in addition to speed,” said Chris Van Buiten, Vice President of Sikorsky Innovations, the advanced engineering and development division of Sikorsky Aircraft that has pioneered the X2 design. “These attributes of the RAIDER aircraft could very well change the way the U.S. military fights with helicopters.”
While the RAIDER aircraft will showcase the X2 design’s considerable airframe
and flight characteristics, its configuration as a light tactical helicopter
will enable Sikorsky to offer the aircraft as a candidate for the U.S. Army’s
Armed Aerial Scout helicopter competition. The U.S. Army is seeking a new
aircraft to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter.
With a maximum gross weight of approximately 11,000 lbs, the RAIDER helicopter will offer full operational performance at speeds and altitudes more than twice the capability of today’s light tactical helicopters.
The Raider cockpit will feature side-by-side seating for two pilots. For armed
reconnaissance and light attack missions, the aircraft can host a variety of
sensors and externally-mounted weapons, with the flexibility to carry additional fuel and ammunition for extended missions. In a light utility or special operations configuration, the helicopter cabin will carry up to six troops.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in
aircraft design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in
Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.
Looks like Nick Lappos is being kept busy.
Last edited by Graviman; 13th Jan 2012 at 17:53.
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Any recent news of this project? Not heard anything for almost a couple of years.
This from Flight last October:
Sikorsky starts construction of S-97 Raider prototypes
Fascinating programme.
Edit: Also, this video from Nov/Dec 2012:
Sikorsky starts construction of S-97 Raider prototypes
Originally Posted by Flightglobal
Sikorsky has started building two prototype S-97 Raider high-speed compound helicopters for the US Army's prospective Armed Aerial Scout programme.
The coaxial-rotor, pusher-prop machine is based on the company's revolutionary X-2 design which won the Collier Trophy in 2010. The S-97 is currently in its detailed design phase, but because Sikorsky is developing the aircraft as a prototype, the company has already started fabricating the new rotor-craft.
"We're in detailed design right now," says Doug Shidler, Sikorsky's S-97 programme manager. "And because we're a rapid prototype programme, as we're going through detailed design, we're also building parts."
Parts of the aircraft's fuselage are already being built as are other components throughout the airframe. In fact, some components have already been completed, Shidler says. The objective for the year is to complete the design.
The aircraft should move into final assembly by the middle of next year, Shidler says. The aircraft should enter ground and flight testing in 2014. "Things are moving along as projected," he adds.
The coaxial-rotor, pusher-prop machine is based on the company's revolutionary X-2 design which won the Collier Trophy in 2010. The S-97 is currently in its detailed design phase, but because Sikorsky is developing the aircraft as a prototype, the company has already started fabricating the new rotor-craft.
"We're in detailed design right now," says Doug Shidler, Sikorsky's S-97 programme manager. "And because we're a rapid prototype programme, as we're going through detailed design, we're also building parts."
Parts of the aircraft's fuselage are already being built as are other components throughout the airframe. In fact, some components have already been completed, Shidler says. The objective for the year is to complete the design.
The aircraft should move into final assembly by the middle of next year, Shidler says. The aircraft should enter ground and flight testing in 2014. "Things are moving along as projected," he adds.
Fascinating programme.
Edit: Also, this video from Nov/Dec 2012:
Last edited by BossEyed; 21st Jan 2013 at 13:49. Reason: To add YouTube link
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Thanks for posting the clips. Interesting that they seem to be concentrating on a military version, bearing in mind what happened to the Commanche.
Anyway, I want a civvy one!
Anyway, I want a civvy one!
Looks like the building where X2 was created is available for lease.
Cushman & Wakefield - Schweizer Aircraft Former, Manufacturing, 1250 Schweizer Road, Horseheads, NY
IFMU
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The gyrodyne main rotor was powered at all times during flight. During cruise, about one-third of available power was directed to the rotor and the remainder to the propeller. This arrangement permitted to the rotor tip-path plane to fly parallel to the flight path in autorotative pitch, providing high cruise speed capability with low vibration.
The X2 is headed to the Udvar-Hazy center:
Aviation Today
I'll be there - looking forward to seeing my X2 teammates and Sikorsky friends again.
Aviation Today
I'll be there - looking forward to seeing my X2 teammates and Sikorsky friends again.
Well, that was awesome. I was awed my first time in the Air & Space museum back in 1989. Never would I have dreamed an aircraft I put a lot into would become part of it.
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IMFU-
The X2 is definitely a good looking aircraft. And you have every right to take pride in your contributions to the project.
However, I had mixed feelings the first time I saw some hardware I designed being displayed in a museum. I spent a few years working on the Space Shuttle program, and a few years ago one of the retired Space Shuttles was put on display at the Air & Space museum in Los Angeles, so I went to see it. The first thing that struck me was how old I must be if something I designed was now part of a museum display!
The X2 is definitely a good looking aircraft. And you have every right to take pride in your contributions to the project.
However, I had mixed feelings the first time I saw some hardware I designed being displayed in a museum. I spent a few years working on the Space Shuttle program, and a few years ago one of the retired Space Shuttles was put on display at the Air & Space museum in Los Angeles, so I went to see it. The first thing that struck me was how old I must be if something I designed was now part of a museum display!
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riff-raff says:
Yeah, I know the feeling. When I was out at Robinson in 2006 Tim Tucker put up a slide with a picture of the #2 R22 which I have a few hundred hours in (#1 was crashed during certification, so it's the oldest R22). Without thinking I said, "Hey Tim, I have time in that machine... do you know where it is now?"
He looks at me sorrowfully and says, "the Smithsonian, Paul, the Smithsonian".
I felt very very old
However, I had mixed feelings the first time I saw some hardware I designed being displayed in a museum. I spent a few years working on the Space Shuttle program, and a few years ago one of the retired Space Shuttles was put on display at the Air & Space museum in Los Angeles, so I went to see it. The first thing that struck me was how old I must be if something I designed was now part of a museum display!
He looks at me sorrowfully and says, "the Smithsonian, Paul, the Smithsonian".
I felt very very old