Sud-Ouest SO 1221
| Sud-Ouest SO 1221 Djinn | |
|---|---|
 Sud-Ouest SO 1221 Djinn |
|
| Type: | Light helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
2nd January 1953 |
| Number of pieces: |
178 |
The Sud-Ouest SO 1221 Djinn was a French helicopter . As a special feature, it had a cold blade tip drive . It was the only mass-produced helicopter with this type of propulsion. The word Djinn comes from the Arabic jinn and means demon or spirit .
history
The machine is based on the Sud-Ouest SO 1100 Ariel with a hot blade tip drive . After the intermediate step over the two single-seat SO 1220s, which had a cold blade tip drive (F-WGVO and F-WGZX), the SO 1221 was finally developed. The machine, consisting of a tubular steel frame and designed for two people in a cabin, took off on December 16, 1953 on its maiden flight . The chassis consisted of two runners with foldable wheels attached so that the helicopter could be moved on the ground. Initially, five prototypes were produced.
The machine proved to be extremely powerful in its weight class and set several world records, such as the world record for altitude of 4,789 meters on December 29, 1953. This was followed by a pre-series production of 22 units, which was ordered by the French army. This later also ordered 100 series machines. The US Army was also interested in the helicopter (type designation YHO-1 ) and received three machines from the pre-series. The Bundeswehr received six units for testing.
The US armed forces returned their machines in 1958 after the tests were successful.
The Bundeswehr made extensive comparisons with the Bell 47 and the Saunders-Roe Skeeter AOP 12 . The SO 1221 was initially used by the Army Aviation Training and Supply Group in Niedermendig , before it was handed over to Army Aviation Squadron 2 in Fritzlar for operational testing . There were repeated problems there and two machines crashed. They were also not satisfied with the tactical properties such as range and payload, so the remaining four units were returned to the manufacturer.
In civilian use, the SO 1221 was mainly used in agriculture for spraying fields as a so-called agricopter . A spray bar and a 200 liter tank for the chemicals were mounted in this role. In 1968 around 40 machines were in use in this role.
A total of 178 units have been manufactured by Sud-Ouest SO & 1221 Djinn, 150 of which were series machines that were manufactured up to 1961.
Military users
- Army Aviators : 8 for evaluation
- Swiss Air Force : 4 for evaluation
- US Army : 3 for evaluation as YHO-1
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 + 1 |
| Hull length | 5.30 m |
| height | 2.60 m |
| Rotor diameter | 11.0 m |
| Empty mass | 360 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 600 kg (civil) |
| 800 kg (military) | |
| drive | 1 × Turboméca Palouste IV gas turbine with 177 kW (240 PS) |
| Top speed | 130 km / h |
| Range | 190 km |
See also
Web links
- Sud-Ouest Djinn at the Bundeswehr, at BW-Flyer.de
- Restoration of a Djinn at CELAG - Center d'etudes et de loisirs Aerospatiaux de Grenoble
- Sud-Oest SO 1221 in the helicopter museum in Bückeburg
