We are flying before buying.. 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. 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. - four smaller disks have a smaller effective lifting area than a single large disk, all things being equal. Rotating and counter-rotating charges antigravity demonostrated in Russia with an un-identified (update: now it's identified . This is the most popular arrangement today. The conclusion was that the control system gains were too low to cover all flight modes. That counter-rotation has the benefit of balancing out the torque and evening the lift from the long and rigid spinning blades. In 1972, both Boeing and Sikorsky were contracted to develop prototypes for this new breed of combat helicopter. Design studies showed that four-bladed rotors would dramatically reduce the rotors vibratory characteristics. If FARA is about finding a next-gen armed scout helicopter, then FLRAA is all about choosing a larger, Black-Hawk-type helicopter. 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. K-MAX Capabilities Unmatched Precision Unmatched Precision Unmatched Versatility Unmatched Versatility It's not an idle promise. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. Four-blade bearingless FVW main rotor adopted from MBB Bo108 The airframe was circular in cross section, sized for a crew of two in a side-by-side configuration, and with a small cabin for experimental test equipment. The S-61 Sikorsky series began development in 1950 and went into service in 1961. This project involved both Army and company funds over a two and a half year period. Here's What You Need To Remember:The new aircraft will employ several measures designed to make it quieter, including, most notably, a counter-rotating rotor that muffles the sound of the first. In September 2010, Sikorsky's similarly designed X2 technology demonstrator reached a speed of 250 knots (287 mph), a feat that the longtime rotorcraft maker at the time said "unofficially shattered the helicopter world speed record." To reduce cost the drive system for the rotor and the auxiliary propulsion were not integrated. The V-280, by contrast looks purely like a Marine design, Aboulafia said. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. In effect, he said, the rotor behaves like a wing in high-speed flight and we have tremendous agility.. It doesnt get rid of excessive vibration at high speed, but exceptionally rigid rotor materials and advanced vibration controls do, Sikorsky says. 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. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. (Source: US Air Force.) Presented at the 64th AHS Annual Forum, Montreal, Canada, April 29 May 1, 2008. Nevertheless, the progress of the VS-300 earned Sikorsky Aircraft a . In high speed flight the XH-59A handled as though it were a fixed wing aircraft. The XH-59A was a unique design built strictly as a test vehicle for the advancing blade concept rotor system. Being a concept demonstrator, the XH-59A had a number of compromises in its design to hold program cost down. This had been used successfully on most coaxial helicopters in the past. 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. Privacy Terms of Use EU and UK Data Protection Notice Cookies. But Sikorsky also created an alternative to the compound helicopter the Advancing Blade Concept, or ABC. Continued operation in RF environments whether thats GPS denial or communications disruption is arguably the number-one requirement for overmatch against near peers. If you want to go faster and further, you need a fundamentally different design. 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 compound helicopter is a little less efficient than a tiltrotor flying long distances, Sikorskys VP for innovation, Chris Van Buiten, admitted to me. 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. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, takes pride in the vital role that manufacturing in America plays in improving lives around the world. Controls: Synchropters First, like some conventional helicopters, especially Russian designs, a compound helicopter has two coaxial rotors on top that rotate in opposite directions (counter-rotation). The mainadvantage of helicopters? Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. systems are either fully-articulated or rigid. Interestingly, the rounded, oval-shaped defiant does look a bit stealthy and appears to operate with an internalweapons bayto limit detectable external shapes or contours likely to generate radar signature returns. The rotor diameter would grow to 40 feet, the same size as the ABC rotor being tested at the time in the NASA Ames wind tunnel. Helicopter with counter-rotating coaxial rotors without cyclic variation of pitch. Photo: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. To paraphrase helicopter pioneer Igor Sikorsky: If you're in trouble . Some obvious design differences present themselves between the two aircraft prototypes: Bells aircraft employs a single main rotor up top, and a tandem cockpit, meaning the two pilots sit with one person in front of the other, as opposed to side-by-side. Unlike most helicopters, Sikorsky's bid uses two counter-rotating coaxial main rotors and a pusher propeller that the company says will allow for quicker acceleration and deceleration. AARV display model At this point, the pilot has two choices: slow down or crash. Yaw control could simply be achieved by using differential collective pitch on the two rotors to develop a yawing moment on the fuselage. 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. Some non-Sikorsky references refer to the AARV as the Sikorsky S-68. By the 1960s the Russians had a coaxial helicopter in production. The S-70A is Sikorsky's designation for Black Hawk models produced for export. Designed to help the U.S. and allies leverage emerging technologies to create a resilient multi-domain network. The rotors of the S-97 are designed based on the "Advancing Blade Concept"only the blades moving forward are pitched, while retreating blades are "unloaded" to reduce drag. 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 . Rediscovering the wheel, here? Mosthelicopters have a ?disc? It is similar to a tandem rotor system when in helicopter mode. By Army funding came from the Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center in Watertown, Mass, which was responsible for much of the development of the dual-hardness armor. Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com. It never went beyond the concept stage. The Sikorsky-Boeing tech demonstrator SB-1 Defiant first took flight in March 2019 and leverages Sikorskys X2 technology with a rigid compound rotor and pusher prop. Military Potential of the ABC, George Price, American Helicopter Society Vertiflight magazine, November/December, 1982. The. A born browser of dictionaries and a lifelong New Englander, Jon Skillings is director of copy editing at CNET. The new heavy lifter will allow the U.S. Marine Corps and international militaries to move troops and equipment from ship to shore, and to higher altitude terrain, more quickly and effectively than ever before. 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. 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. Kris Osborn is Defense Editor for theNational Interest. 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. Bell V-280 Valor Joint Multi-Role Demonstrator (CGI graphic). The CFTD replicates the functionality, flight characteristics, mission profiles and unmatched capabilities of the CH-53K helicopter. (Each propeller may have an electric motor & electricity could be provided by a central gas turbine engine (that also provides extra forward thrust)!). Both Sikorsky and the Army had higher priorities at the time. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? Speed Demon: The Sikorsky X2 experimental helicopter is, unofficially, the fastest on Earth. Joining the team as a motorcycle specialist, he's covered just about everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on eVTOLs, hydrogen, energy, aviation, audiovisual, weird stuff and things that go fast. The Sikorsky S-97 Raider is a high-speed scout and attack compound helicopter [2] based on the Advancing Blade Concept (ABC) with a coaxial rotor system [3] under development by Sikorsky Aircraft. Two P&WA PT-6 engines were used to power the rotors. . The FVL competitors havent flown yet, but the Bell V-280 is designed to go 280 knots (320 mph), while the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 is derived from the Collier Trophy-winning X2 demonstrator, which reached 250 knots (287 mph). The X2 Technology Demonstrator has a coaxial rotor system comprised oftwo hubs with blades attached. When its moving forward at high speed, however, the engine puts 90 percent of its energy into the rear propeller to generate forward thrust, much like a conventional propeller aircraft. Missions Armed reconnaissance Length 37ft Width 16ft Rotor Diameter 34ft Speed 220k Expand Sikorsky planned to offer it for the United States Army 's Armed Aerial Scout program, along with other possible uses. The Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant concept for the Joint Multi-Role demonstrator, a predecessor to the Future Vertical Lift aircraft. The turning power comes not from a rotating engine in the helicopter body but from the roto Continue Reading Sponsored by TruHeight Still looking for TruHeight Gummies? (Move too slowly and you stall, potentially falling out of the sky). It also required titanium rather than aluminum to get the strength and modulus necessary for a practical blade design. The data and discussions lead us to believe the proposals were not consistently evaluated to deliver the best value in the interest of the Army, our soldiers and American taxpayers, Sikorsky said in a statement. To date, the Sikorsky X2 has been developed into two main helicopters: Boeing-Sikorsky SB-1 Defiant and Sikorsky S-97 Raider. The X2 won the 2010 Collier Award for demonstrating a revolutionary 250 knot helicopter, which marks a proven departure point for the future development of helicopters by greatly increasing their speed, maneuverability and utility. The Collier Award is given out once each year for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance. The critical importance of the FLRAA mission to the Army and our nation requires the most capable, affordable and lowest-risk solution.. This seemed to work out fine in the initial hover tests. The development of the next-generation rotary wing technology allowed Sikorsky to select suppliers for the high speed X2 prototype aircraft intended for flight test and evaluation by the US Army. Both helicopters, Raider and Defiant, have similar design elements: two counter-rotating top rotors, and a propeller in back. That depends on who you believe and what the mission is. Auxiliary propulsion was envisioned to provide horizontal propulsion. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation: Counter-rotating rotor system with stationary standpipe US20150139799A1 (en) * 2013-11-15: 2015-05-21: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation . here for reprint permission. This successful R&D program demonstrated the promised speed and altitude performance. The six-passenger bird will be developed for the military and will. Two companies are competing against one another in a program called FARA (Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft) to create the whirlybird that will fill that role. Its the Army that Bell and Sikorsky must convince. The extra lift from each rotors advancing blade balances out the diminished lift from the opposite sides retreating blade, which gets rid of retreating blade stall. Sikorskys SB Defiant, which recently took a demo flight at a Sikorsky range in West Palm Beach Florida before the Armys Chief of Staff, has reportedly hit speeds of 250 knots, more than twice that of a current Black Hawk. Media Contact Aviation Week & Space Technology, October 12, 1970, page 65, Armor Used as Airframe for Helicopter. The contract is worth $1.3 billion and could accelerate as additional helicopters are bought by the U.S. and other countries. Our Multi-Domain Operations/Joint All-Domain Operations solutions provide a complete picture of the battlespace and empowers warfighters to quickly make decisions that drive action. Bring back the COMANCHE ! The object protruding from the front is a 3D-printed simulated cannon. A helicopter can be designed to have blades that rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. 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. The company plans to demonstrate the aircraft's capabilities to the US military beginning in 2015. The hubs spin in opposite directions, whicheliminates the torque effect. 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. Sikorskyis developing plans to design and build a civilian X2 Technology helicopterthat would satisfy operators? They will likely sell it in the commercial market as well. The initial version of this helicopter, called the SB>1 Defiant, flew for the first time in March of 2019, and Popular Science has also recognized it in its Best of What's New awards.. I recently coordinated engineering efforts for the Future . Presented at the 37th AHS Annual Forum, New Orleans, LA, May, 1981. Composite materials technology would soon appear which could produce a better blade, with almost infinite options in geometry, at a substantially reduced cost and lighter weight. In effect, he said, "the rotor . advance ratios, the potential for greater tion for applications of HHC to a counter-interharmonic coupling exists, rotating aircraft at very high speed in the 12000 ib range of gross weight. However, the counter-rotating blades also brings a sound advantage by virtue of enabling quieter, stealthier flight trajectories generating a much smaller acoustic signature. 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. The 40 foot diameter rotor that was wind tunnel tested in 1970 was sized for a 14,500 lb gross weight, 230 knot aircraft which was felt at the time to be a size with a wide range of mission potential. . Here are more target drones for your ne 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. Lockheed Sikorsky-Boeings SB Defiant has taken flight more recently than Textron-Bells 280 Valor, however both appear to be showing early promise. Topics: acquisition, AH-64 Apache, Army, army future, AUSA 2017, Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Chris Gehler, Chris Van Buiten, compound helicopter, fixed wing, future vertical lift, FVL, helicopters, Lockheed Martin, marine future, marines, research and development, retreating blade stall, Richard Aboulafia, SB-1 Defiant, Sikorsky, tiltrotor, UH-60 Black Hawk, V-280, V-280 Valor. Presidential transport helicopter also known as Marine One Sikorsky internal model designations S-70A. Watch later. Learn how we are strengthening the economies, industries and communities of our global partner nations. The V-280 has the same size rotors as the V-22 but weighs half as much, Gehler said, giving it 50 percent more control power than a V-22 at low speeds, superior to the present-day Black Hawk and Apache. The Defiant will have retractable landing gear, reducing drag to allow higher speeds at greater efficiencies, leading to longer range. XH-59A (S-69) Altitude Airspeed Envelope, Isometric Drawing by Andy Whyte of the Proposed XH-59B, Timeline of the Sikorsky Aircraft Company, Sikorsky Aircraft Paintings by Andy Whyte. Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. That lets them take off and land vertically, fly sideways or backwards, and hover, but its not as fast or as fuel efficient in horizontal flight as an airplane. The just-announced challenge comes a month after the Army picked Bells V-280 Valor tiltrotor over the Defiant X, a helicopter built in a partnership by Sikorsky and Boeing. Its significantly smaller than Defiant.. [4] Oct 26, 1972 : Igor Sikorsky dies due a heart attack at the age of 83. The S-97 will be much faster than conventional helicopters, with a cruising speed of up to 220 knots, or 253 mph, according to Sikorsky. Business optimism reigned supreme at Sikorsky Aircraft during the 1980s decade. Whichever helicopter becomes the Armys choice for the FARA role will be powered by a single engine, which is General Electrics T901. Box 9729Stratford, Connecticut 06497-9129U.S.A. The first was a two place reconnaissance vehicle, the AARV Aerial Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle proposed as a follow-on to the Armys light observation helicopters then in production, the Hughes OH-6A and the Bell OH-58A. 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. Sikorskys compound-helicopter experiments also started in the 1970s with the experimental XH-59, then were revived in the X2 demonstrator now in the Smithsonian. There was a 30 inch spacing between the two rotors. Taking action to help you protect what matters most. There were no hinges in the design. ABC required the spar to be tapered in both diameter and wall thickness to be able to carry the high bending moments developed when the rotors lift moved off the rotor centerline. Just innovation. Despite all the differences, the fundamental selling points for both designs are speed and range. Four years later, Sikorsky eventually won the competition to build the Army's new UH-60A helicopter. The transmission used a simple compound planetary gearing arrangement to provide two counter-rotation output shafts and a high reduction ratio. Independent control for upper and lower rotor of a rotary wing aircraft Patent number: 11440650 Abstract: An aircraft is provide including an airframe, an extending tail, and a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. For fb36 wondering why not a quad? "Extensivetest instrumentation is also being installed as preparation for its firstflight.". Melissa Chadwick The S-68 was a conceptual design for a small commercial aircraft using S-58T components. This proved to be successful, although it was a complex and expensive process which would have been prohibitive if the ABC were to be competitive for a production design. He could be considered the most important person in the helicopter design. 1939: Igor Ivanovitch Sikorsky built the helicopter VS-300 which flew in May 13, 1940. TheCH-53K King Stallionadvances Sikorskys 50 years of manufacturing and operational success with its CH-53A, CH-53D/G, and CH-53E predecessors. This had the integrated propulsion system with twin General Electric T700-GE-700 engines driving both the rotor system and a ducted pusher propeller. The aircraft was designed to fly with or without the auxiliary propulsion J-60s installed. The empennage was an inverted V to keep it under the rotor and minimize aircraft size. There are several vendors now competing as part of an intense Army competition to ultimately choose and deploy a new fleet of aircraft with a much greater combat radius, fuel efficiency, speed, weapons, sensors and computer systems. Will the military actually buy either design? The test envelope was expanded to level flight at 156 knots, dive speeds to 186 knots, and altitudes to 14,000 feet. In the mid-1960s many companies in the helicopter industry were investigating technologies to expand the speed envelope of the helicopter. 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. At higher speeds, however, the advancing blades start going supersonic producing dangerous vibrations while the retreating blades stall out for lack of lift. The subject of this newsletter is in response to an archive members question, How Are Sikorsky Helicopters Named?. The purpose of the aft blades is to provide acounterforce to the torque effect on the fuselage created by the spinning maindisc. His last day in his office at the Stratford plant of Sikorsky Aircraft was the day before Jul 29, 1973 : S-69 ABC (XH-59) The ABC (Advancing Blade Concept) was designed to prove the viability of two counter rotating main rotors on a common axis as a means of achieving higher speeds and better agility The retreating blades are going slower relative to the air, because they subtract the helicopters speed from their own, so they generate less lift. 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 CH-53K Test Flight team has our most experienced and seasoned engineers, pilots, maintainers and support staff. Some balance is needed in order to keep the machine stable--usually either another, counter-rotating rotor or a small vertically-mounted tail rotor. It's not every day you see a helicopter that looks like this. Contact the author here. On the ground, the top rotors can be folded back, allowing it to be stored and transported easily. Main Rotor Characteristics; Diameter: RPM: Direction of Rotation: Counter-rotating: Hub Type: Main . ?Customers aredemanding greater speed but without sacrificing any of the unique capabilitiesthat make helicopters theideal platform for countless civil and military missions.? Manually foldable composite rotor blades, using Boeing VR-7 and VR-8 aerofoils with cambered leading-edges. All Rights Reserved. The upper and lower counter-rotating gear 62 u, 621 drive a respective upper and lower rotor shaft 64 u, 641 which rotates the counter-rotating rotor systems 28 a, 28 b about an axis R. Input power is transmitted from the powerplants 22 through the driveshafts 54 A, 54 B to the upper and lower counter-rotating gear 62 u, 621 and the drive shaft 38. That's in an assault configuration; there will also be an attack variant that shares a common fly-by-wire drivetrain and many other systems, but has a different composite fuselage and is much more heavily armed. While it did not crash, it did tip over as it sat idling on the heliport atop the Pan Am Building (now the MetLife . In this work, different modelling aspects of helicopter dynamics are discussed. Sikorsky was unique in devoting his efforts to . Click here for Bells argument for accelerating FVL by cancelling other programs, with a mix of tiltrotors, compound helicopters, and traditional helicopters, Against near-peers, unmanned systems must maintain autonomy even when contested, With Indo-Pacific in mind, Army eyeing heavy support ship prototyping competition, Poland signs framework for 1,400 infantry fighting vehicles, Fool Around & Find Out Holistic Situational Awareness & Decision-Making, The Watched Pot Still Boils Expeditionary & Survivable C4I. Courtesy of Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives, Inc. The demonstrated agility, stability, and increased speed would provide tactical flight crews with additional capabilities to fight and win on the modern battlefield. The team gave the aircraft the best rating possible for hover out-of-ground-effect (HOGE) handling qualities.