Piasecki X-49
| Piasecki X-49 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Piasecki X-49A |
|
| Type: | experimental combination aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
June 29, 2007 |
| Commissioning: |
In flight testing |
| Production time: |
Was never mass-produced |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Piasecki X-49A , also Sikorsky YSH-60F , is an experimental combination aircraft from the US manufacturer Piasecki Aircraft Corporation , in which the conventional tail rotor has been replaced by a rear-facing ducted propeller , which, in addition to torque compensation , also enables higher flight speeds.
development
A Sikorsky UH-60 served as the basis for the development . The research program has been since its launch in October, 2000 by the US Navy with 26.1 million US dollars financed. The program has since been forwarded to the US Army. This technique was already tested by Piasecki during the 1960s with the Piasecki 16H-1 , which reached 360 km / h.
The ducted propeller is an encapsulated 5-blade propeller with a diameter of 2.44 meters, the direction of which can be changed (VTDP = Vectored Thrust Ducted Propeller). The power absorbed by the propeller is 1,560 kW . Therefore the drive shaft had to be reinforced. In addition, stub blades were used to relieve the rotor and allow the top speed to be increased further. Instead of the 270 km / h for the pure helicopter, 370 km / h are expected in the new configuration. In order not to impair the take-off performance of the machine compared to the original model despite the additional weight of 725 kg, the APU was exchanged for a Rolls-Royce T703 engine, which only provides additional power during take-off.
While the ducted propeller and its drive units survived a 200-hour long-term test in 2004, the first floor tests for vibration analysis were completed in January 2006. Strong vibrations occurred on a drive shaft. However, the project suffers from a lack of funds.
The first flight took place on June 29, 2007 with Boeing at Wilmington International Airport near Philadelphia .
