Sikorsky XH-39: Difference between revisions
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[[Category:United States military utility aircraft 1950–1959]] |
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[[Category:Sikorsky aircraft|XH-39]] |
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[[Category:United States helicopters 1950–1959]] |
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[[it:Sikorsky S-59]] |
[[it:Sikorsky S-59]] |
Revision as of 16:55, 7 October 2011
XH-39 (S-59) | |
---|---|
Role | Helicopter |
Manufacturer | Sikorsky Aircraft |
Introduction | not produced |
Primary user | United States Army |
Number built | 1[1] |
Developed from | Sikorsky S-52 |
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, prototype of the UH-1 Huey. Two YH-18As were modified into XH-39s; one for flight testing and 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 24,500 ft (7,474 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
See also
- UH-1 Iroquois variants
- Bell Huey - overview of all models
- US Helicopter Armament Subsystems
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
Notes
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)