Sud-Ouest SO 1100
The Sud-Ouest SO 1100 Ariel was a hot tip propulsion helicopter made by the French manufacturer SNCASO .
history
Based on the German development of the Doblhoff WNF 342 and after contacts with Friedrich von Doblhoff and Henrich Focke , the SNCASO began developing a light helicopter that was powered by nozzles on the rotor blade ends under the direction of Paul Morian .
The first flight of the only prototype with the identification F-WFKM was tied up on May 14, 1947. Free flight tests began in Villacoublay on March 7, 1949 , but it soon became apparent that the rudder, which was only blown by the cooling fan, was insufficient in its effectiveness. In addition, there were difficulties with the mixture formation and power control of the hot blade tip drive. Finally, a conventional tail boom was installed instead of the pusher propeller . The development led to the SO 1110.
construction
The SO 1100 was a two-seater machine with a three-blade rotor with a hot blade tip drive. The engine used for this was a 128 kW Mathis G7 engine, which was throttled to 97 kW, according to other sources, this was a Mathis G8 with 164 kW. The engine powered a Turbomeca compressor that delivered low-compression air that was directed through the hollow rotor blades to the combustion chambers at the blade tips. There the air was mixed with fuel and electrically ignited.
The SO 1100 had a non-retractable nose wheel landing gear and was presented to the public at the Paris Air Show in November 1946. The machine had a ducted propeller , which was driven by the engine via a long-distance shaft, so that the SO 1100 flew as an autogyro when it was cruising . The rotor diameter was 9.75 m, the empty weight 650 kg.
Sud-Ouest SO 1110
An improved variant was the Sud-Ouest SO 1110 Ariel II , produced in two copies , which made its maiden flight on April 21, 1950. The pusher propeller was omitted, instead a tail unit was installed. Control nozzles acted on compressed air were used for control in slow flight. In fast forward flight, aerodynamic surfaces took over the control.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 7.15 m |
| height | 2.86 m |
| Rotor diameter | 10.80 m |
| drive | an air-cooled Mathis G8 V-motor with 140 kW at 3325 min −1 |
| Top speed | 170 km / h |
| Cruising speed | 135 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 900 m |
| Range | 190 km |
| Empty weight | 740 kg |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1080 kg |
Sud-Ouest SO 1120
The conclusion of this development line was the three-seater Sud-Ouest SO 1120 Ariel III equipped with a 202 kW Turboméca Arrius . The first flight took place on April 18, 1951 and was also the first use of a gas turbine in a helicopter.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 8.30 m |
| Rotor diameter | 10.80 m |
| Takeoff weight | 1250 kg |
| Cruising speed | 135 km / h |
The drive principle did not prove itself due to the high fuel consumption, which was about double that of a helicopter equipped with a conventional gearbox of the same power. A cold blade tip drive was therefore used in the further developed Sud-Ouest SO 1221 .