Sikorsky XH-39: Difference between revisions

XH-39 S-59
Role	Helicopter
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
Introduction	not produced
Primary user	United States Army
Number built	1
Developed from	Sikorsky S-52

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Revision as of 18:53, 13 May 2009

The Sikorsky XH-39 (manufacturer designation S-59), developed by Sikorsky Aircraft in 1954, was the U.S. Army’s first turbine-powered helicopter. It was fast and innovative, but ultimately rejected by the United States Army in favor of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois.

Design and development

The four-seat XH-39 was powered by one Continental CAE XT51-T-3 400 shp (298 kW) turboshaft engine, a license-built development of the Turbomeca Artouste. It was developed from a previous Sikorsky model, the H-18 (company model S-52), and had the same layout. It differed in using retractable tricycle landing gear, modified tail rotor, and four-blade main rotor.^[2] In the end, the U.S. Army selected the Bell XH-40, precursor to the famed UH-1 Huey . Two YH-18As were modified into XH-39s one for flight testing the other for static test.

On August 26, 1954, the S-59 set a world helicopter speed record of 155.9 mph (251 km/h). The same year, it set a world helicopter altitude record of 24500 ft (7474 m).

Variants

XH-39: Former YH-18A modified for static testing, not flown and later modified back to YH-18A standard.
XH-39A: Former YH-18A modified for flight testing.

Specifications (XH-39)

Data from U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947 ^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: Four

Performance

References

Notes

^ Polmar and Kennedy, p.288
^ Polmar and Kennedy, p.288
^ Harding 1990, p.233.

Bibliography

Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife, 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8.
Polmar, Norman, and Kennedy, Floyd D., Jr. Military Helicopters of the World. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1981. ISBN 0-870321-383-0.

External links

"Sikorsky Model XH-39 (S-59)." at Global Security (accessed 12 May 2008)

[1] Polmar and Kennedy, p.288

[2] Polmar and Kennedy, p.288

[Harding_Armyp233-3] Harding 1990, p.233.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 ==Design and development==
-The four-seat XH-39 was powered by one [[Continental T51|Continental CAE XT51-T-3]] 400 shp (298 kW) [[turboshaft]] engine, a license-built development of the [[Turbomeca Artouste]]. It was developed from a previous Sikorsky model, the H-18 (company model S-52), and had the same layout. It differed in using retractable tricycle landing gear, modified tail rotor, and four-blade main rotor.<ref>Polmar and Kennedy, p.288</ref> In the end, the U.S. Army selected the [[Bell XH-40]], precursor to the famed [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1 Huey]] .
+The four-seat XH-39 was powered by one [[Continental T51|Continental CAE XT51-T-3]] 400 shp (298 kW) [[turboshaft]] engine, a license-built development of the [[Turbomeca Artouste]]. It was developed from a previous Sikorsky model, the H-18 (company model S-52), and had the same layout. It differed in using retractable tricycle landing gear, modified tail rotor, and four-blade main rotor.<ref>Polmar and Kennedy, p.288</ref> In the end, the U.S. Army selected the [[Bell XH-40]], precursor to the famed [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1 Huey]] . Two YH-18As were modified into XH-39s one for flight testing the other for static test.
 On August 26, 1954, the S-59 set a world helicopter speed record of 155.9 mph (251 km/h). The same year, it set a world helicopter altitude record of 24500 ft (7474 m).
+==Variants==
+;XH-39
+:Former YH-18A modified for static testing, not flown and later modified back to YH-18A standard.
+;XH-39A
+:Former YH-18A modified for flight testing.
 ==Specifications (XH-39) ==

v t e Sikorsky aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft (company designations)	S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8 S-9 S-10 S-11 S-12 S-13 S-14 S-15 S-16 S-17 S-18 S-19 S-20 S-21 S-22/23/24/25/26/27 S-28 S-29-A S-30 S-31 S-32 S-33 S-34 S-35 S-36 S-37 S-38 S-39 S-40 S-41 S-42 S-43 VS-44 S-45
Fixed-wing aircraft (military designations)	C-6 C-28 JRS JR2S PS P2S RS XBLR-3 XPBS XSS XV-2
Helicopters (company designations)	VS-300 (S-46) S-47 S-48 S-49 S-50 S-51 S-52 S-53 S-54 S-55 S-56 S-57 S-58 S-59 S-60 S-61 S-61L/N S-61R S-62 S-63 S-64 S-65 S-66 S-67 S-68 S-69 S-70 S-71 S-72 S-73 S-74 S-75 S-76 S-80 S-92 S-95 S-97 S-100 S-102 S-103 S-300 S-333 S-434
Helicopters (military designations)	SH-3 Sea King HH-3E/F R-4 H-5 H-6 H-18 H-19 Chickasaw H-34 Choctaw CH-37 Mojave XH-39 HH-52A Seaguard CH-53 Sea Stallion CH-53E Super Stallion CH-53K King Stallion MH-53 CH-54 Tarhe UH-60 Black Hawk HH-60G Pave Hawk HH-60J/MH-60T MH-60R/S Seahawk SH-60B/F Seahawk H-60J/K VH-60 RAH-66 Comanche VH-92 Patriot CH-124 Sea King CH-148 Cyclone HLH
Experimental aircraft	Cypher/Cypher II Firefly Raider Raider X SB-1 X2 XBLR-3 XV-2

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