Sikorsky S-97
| Sikorsky S-97 "Raider" | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mock-up of the S-97 |
|
| Type: | Combat and transport helicopters, technology carriers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 22, 2015 |
| Commissioning: |
- |
| Production time: |
2015 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The Sikorsky S-97 Raider is an attack and transport helicopter produced by the US company Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation . Due to its design, the S-97 is one of the aircrafts .
development
The helicopter is based on the Sikorsky X2 and was announced to the public on October 20, 2010. Development began as part of the United States Army's Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) program as a replacement for the Bell OH-58 . After canceling the AAS program, Sikorsky continued the development with his own money, supported by partners. A first mock-up was shown at the Association of the US Army's annual conference in late 2010 . Initially, two prototypes were produced, the first of which was presented to the public on October 2, 2014. In January 2015, the first machine ( aircraft registration number N971SK), tied to the ground, underwent initial basic tests. This included checking the drive system and the rotor control. Production of the second prototype began in January 2015.
The first one-hour flight of the S-97 took place on May 22, 2015. This started a flight test program of around 100 flight hours and around 220 hours on the ground to achieve Sikorsky's main goals:
- 220 knots cruising speed with weapons
- Soaring to 6,000 feet at 95 ° F, Hot'n'High
- 3 g maneuverability in flight
The second prototype (P2) was presented to the public in October 2015.
On August 3, 2017, the first S-97 prototype (P1) landed hard at the Sikorsky flight test facility in West Palm Beach , Florida . Both pilots were slightly injured. The NTSB report of the incident said the helicopter was lifted in a low hover and immediately began to roll excessively, resulting in "intermeshing" of the counter-rotating coaxial rotor system and a hard landing. There was massive damage to the S-97, including the separation of all rotor blades from the rotor blade tips. A video of the accident showed the aircraft roll vibrations of more than 60 degrees over the course of 5 seconds while the upper and lower rotors collided at the 1 o'clock position.
The second prototype first flew on June 19, 2018.
On June 25, 2019, the S-97 returned to flight tests and reached a speed of 190 knots.
construction
The S-97 is bigger and heavier than the technology test vehicle X2. It also has a counter-rotating coaxial rotor with stiff rotor blades and an additional propeller at the stern. Rotor and propeller are from a General Electric T700 - shaft power turbine driven. Because of this technical design of a driven rotor and a propeller for propulsion, the S-97 is a flight wrench . The planned cruising speed of 370 to 407 km / h is well below the top speed of 463 km / h achieved by the X2.
The cabin is to be given a modular configuration that can also be exchanged under combat conditions. The reconnaissance variant would receive an additional fuel tank at the expense of the transport capacity. In the attack configuration, the cabin would offer space to carry six fully equipped soldiers like in the Mil Mi-24 . The goals are greater maneuverability, greater resistance under operating conditions and the possibility of use at great heights. In addition, the Raider has a much smaller curve radius and a significantly lower noise signature than conventional helicopters. Sikorsky sees the US Army as a possible main customer.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| Passengers | up to 6 soldiers |
| Main rotor | 2 counter-rotating, adjustable 4-blade rotors |
| Main rotor diameter | 34 ft (10.36 m) |
| Thrust propeller | 6 blades, adjustable |
| Thrust propeller diameter | 7 ft (2.13 m) |
| Hull length | 36 ft (11.28 m) |
| Width over tail unit | 16 ft (4.88 m) |
| Rumphöhe | 6.5 ft (1.67 m) |
| Takeoff mass | about 5220 kg |
| Cruising speed | 370-407 km / h |
| Range | > 600 km |
| Flight duration | 2:40 h |
| Max. Hover altitude | 6,000 ft at 35 ° C (1,800 m) |
| Hot'n'High flight | 10,000 ft at 95 ° F |
| Engine | a shaft power turbine General Electric T700 , 2600 shp (1940 kW) |
Comparable helicopter types
- Bell 360 Invictus
- Bell ARH-70 Arapaho
- Eurocopter AS645
- Eurocopter X3
See also
literature
- Sikorsky unveils Raider X2. In: AIR International, December 2010, p. 19
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stephen Trimble: S-97 Raider makes debut test flight. In: Flightglobal.com. May 22, 2015, accessed on May 22, 2015 (English): "Sikorsky has completed a first flight of the self-funded S-97 Raider at the company's flight test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, to open a year-long test and demonstration phase for the high-speed, compound helicopter proposed for light attack, scout and special utility missions. "
- ↑ sikorsky.com: Sikorsky Commits to Build X2 TechnologyTM Prototypes to Advance Military Rotary Wing Operations , October 20, 2010
- ^ S-97 Raider Blade Testing . In: AIR International March 2015, p. 4
- ↑ Legendary Liftoff! The Sikorsky S97RAIDER has made its historic first flight.
- ^ Graham Warwick: Sikorsky Conducts First Flight of S-97 Helo . In: Aviation Week & Space Technology , May 22, 2015. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved on May 25, 2015.
- ↑ Joe Gould: Sikorsky S-97 Raider Achieves First Flight. August 8, 2017, accessed on May 16, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Sikorsky S-97 Raider reaching for top speeds by “summer 2016” . In: Flightglobal.com . Archived from the original on October 13, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ↑ https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/rms/documents/s-97-raider/8246_AAAA_RAIDER_SS_v3.pdf S-97 flyer from 2017
- ↑ Sikorsky S-97 suffers hard landing during flight test . Vertical magazine. August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ↑ HELICOPTER SPECIALIST'S FACTUAL REPORT NTSB No: ERA17LA263 . NTSB. February 14, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ↑ David Isby: Sikorsky's little Raider . In: AIR International September 2018, p. 13
- ↑ Sydney J. Freedberg Jr: Sikorsky Be Nimble: S-97 Raider Shows Off For Army FARA. In: Breaking Defense. June 25, 2019, accessed on May 16, 2020 .
- ↑ S-97 Raider at www.lockheedmartin.com
- ↑ Flug Revue 12/2014, p. 48, S-97 rollout
- ↑ Ronald D. Green: Flight Plan 2011 - Analysis of the US Aerospace Industry, Rotorcraft Developments , US Department of Commerce / International Trade Administration , March 2011. Accessed: March 2, 2012. Quote: "Several companies - including Sikorsky, Eurocopter, and Carter Aerospace Technologies - are developing compound helicopters to combine vertical / short take-off-and-landing capabilities with one or more propellers for increasing forward speed over conventional helicopter design. "