Cierva Air Horse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| W.11 Air Horse | |
|---|---|
| Type | single-engined three-rotor helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Cierva-Weir Limited |
| Maiden flight | 1948 |
| Retired | 1960 |
| Primary user | Air Ministry |
| Number built | 2 |
The Cierva W.11 Air Horse was a British 1940s helicopter which was the largest helicopter in the world when it first flew in 1948.
Contents |
[edit] Development
The W.11 Air Horse was developed by the Cierva company as a 24-seat passenger transport. It first flew on 7 December 1948. A Rolls Royce Merlin piston engine in the fuselage drove three large three-bladed rotors mounted on outriggers which projected from the fuselage. It was envisaged that apart from being a 24-passenger transport it could be used as an air ambulance or aerial crane. In September 1945 the design was modified to meet a requirement from Pest Control Limited to use the Air Horse as a crop sprayer. One aircraft was ordered against Air Ministry Specification E.19/46 in July 1946 and another aircraft was ordered early in 1947.
Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft were contracted to build the two helicopters at Southampton/Eastleigh Airport under the control of the Cierva company. With a payload of 6,720 lb (3048 kg) it would have been an impressive sprayer and following the first flights in December 1948 a grant was received from the Colonial Office to assist in development.
A projected enlarged twin-engined development was designated the W.11T but it and other projects were abandoned as the company concentrated on the design of the W.14 which became the Saro Skeeter.
[edit] Operational history
The first aircraft fatally crashed on the 13 June 1950 and the second aircraft was not flown and was scrapped in 1960.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (W.11)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: three
- Length: ()
- Rotor diameter: 95 ft 0 in (28.96 m)
- Height: ()
- Disc area: 5,205 ft² (483.53 m²)
- Empty weight: 12,140 lb (5507 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7938 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 24 inline piston engine, 1,620 hp (1208 kW)
- Propellers: 3 rotor, 1/3 per engine
- Propeller diameter: 95 ft ()
Performance
- Maximum speed: 140 mph (225 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 95 mph (163 km/h)
- Range: 330 miles (531 km)
[edit] References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
- Cierva W.11 Air Horse Copies of entries in "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft", 1997. by D.Donald and "Helicopters and Autogyros of the World", 1958 by P.Lambermont. Hosted at www.aviastar.org. Accessed January 2008
[edit] External links
 External images |
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Parked Cierva W11 Air Horse in monochrome Image at Rods Aviation. Copyright E.J. Riding. [1] |
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Flying Cierva W11 Air Horse in colour Phlairline.com's Photo Database [2] |
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