Sikorsky X2

X2
Sikorsky X2 Demonstrator
Role Experimental compound helicopter
Manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft / Schweizer Aircraft
First flight 27 August 2008[1]
Retired 14 July 2011
Status Retired
Number built 1
Developed into Sikorsky S-97 Raider

The Sikorsky X2 is an experimental compound helicopter with coaxial rotors developed by the American aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. It is considered to be the fastest helicopter ever produced.

Contents

Design and development

Sikorsky has incorporated decades of company research and development into X2 Technology helicopters. The S-69/XH-59A Advancing Blade Concept Demonstrator showed high speed was possible with a coaxial helicopter and auxiliary propulsion; the Cypher UAV expanded company knowledge of the unique aspects of flight control laws in a fly by wire aircraft with coaxial rotors; and the RAH-66 Comanche, which developed expertise in composite rotors and advanced transmission design.[2][3]

On 4 May 2009, Sikorsky unveiled a mock-up of a Light Tactical Helicopter derivative of the X2.[4]

Operational history

The X2 first flew on 27 August 2008 from Schweizer Aircraft's (a division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation) facility at Horseheads, New York. The flight lasted 30 minutes.[1] This began a 4-phase flight test program, to culminate with reaching a planned 250-knot top speed.[5] The X2 completed flights with its pusher propeller fully engaged in July 2009.[6] Sikorsky completed phase 3 of the testing with the X2 hitting 181 knots in test flight in late May 2010.[7]

On 26 July 2010, Sikorsky announced that the X2 exceeded 225 knots (259 mph; 417 km/h) during flight testing in West Palm Beach Florida, unofficially surpassing the current FAI rotorcraft world speed record of 216 knots (249 mph) set by a modified Westland Lynx in 1986.[8] The X2 flight was purposefully made 37 years to the date of the S-69's first flight.[9]

On 15 September 2010, test pilot Kevin Bredenbeck achieved Sikorsky's design goal for the X2 when he flew it at a speed of 250 knots (290 mph; 460 km/h) in level flight,[10][11] an unofficial speed record for a helicopter.[12][13] The demonstrator also reached a speed of 260 knots (300 mph; 480 km/h) in a shallow 2˚ to 3˚ dive.[14]

On 14 July 2011, the X2 completed its final flight and was officially retired after accumulating 22 hours over 23 test flights.[15] With the end of development, the X2 will be followed by its first application, the S-97 Raider high-speed scout and attack helicopter.[16]

Specifications

This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.

Data from Flug-Revue[17] NOTE: No other specifications have been released by Sikorsky.

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ a b Trimble, Stephen. "Sikorsky's X2 speedster completes first flight". Flightglobal.com, 27 August 2008.
  2. ^ Sikorsky to Build and Test X2 Technology Demonstrator Helicopter. Sikorsky
  3. ^ Trimble, Stephen (26 July 2010). "Sikorsky X2 sets unofficial helicopter speed record". FlightGlobal. Reed Business Information. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/26/345353/sikorsky-x2-sets-unofficial-helicopter-speed-record.html. Retrieved 29 July 2010. 
  4. ^ Trimble, Stephen. "Sikorsky unveils mock-up X2 armed scout". Flightglobal, 4 May 2009.
  5. ^ Trimble, Stephen. "Sikorsky high-speed X2 prototype starts flight-test phase". Flight International, 2 September 2008.
  6. ^ Lynch, Kerry. "Sikorsky X2 Files With Engaged Propeller". Aviation Week, 13 July 2009.
  7. ^ Croft, John. "Sikorsky completes third-phase X2 tests with 181kt flight". Flight International, 27 May 2010.
  8. ^ Rotorcraft World Records. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)
  9. ^ "X2 Technology Demonstrator Achieves 225 Knots, Sets New Top Speed for Helicopter - Target Milestone of 250 Knots Looms in Q3 2010". Sikorsky.com, 26 July 2010.
  10. ^ Croft, John (September 15, 2010). "Sikorsky X2 hits 250kt goal". Flight International. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/15/347379/sikorsky-x2-hits-250kt-goal.html. Retrieved 2010-09-16. 
  11. ^ Sikorsky's X2 Chases World Speed Record
  12. ^ "Sikorsky X2 Technology Demonstrator Achieves 250-Knot Speed Milestone". sikorsky.com. 15 September 2010. http://www.sikorsky.com/About+Sikorsky/News/Press+Details?pressvcmid=9f0cd4ef0661b210VgnVCM1000004f62529fRCRD&keyword=x2&dateFrom=null&dateTo=null&model=null&business=null&matchCriteria=null&matchKeyword=any&fromSearchPage=true&businessIndex=null&=modelIndex=null. Retrieved 23 September 2010. "The speed, reached during a 1.1-hour flight, is an unofficial speed record for a helicopter." 
  13. ^ Goodier, Rob (September 20, 2010). "Inside Sikorsky's Speed-Record-Breaking Helicopter Technology". Popular Mechanics. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/news/inside-sikorskys-record-breaking-helicopter-tech?click=pm_news. Retrieved 22 September 2010. 
  14. ^ Finnegan, Joy editor-in-chief (1 October 2010). "Sikorsky Breaks 250 KTAS Record". Rotor & Wing. http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/cover/Sikorsky-Breaks-250-KTAS-Record_71011.html. Retrieved 6 October 2010. 
  15. ^ Paur, Jason (15 July 2010). "Sikorsky’s Record-Setting Helicopter Retires". WIRED. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/07/video-sikorskys-record-setting-helicopter-retires/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher. Retrieved 15 July 2011. 
  16. ^ "Award-Winning X2 Technology Demonstrator Takes its Final Flight - Program paved the way for upcoming S-97 Raider helicopter", Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., 14 July 2011.
  17. ^ "Sikorsky X2". Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080612134559/http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRSikX2.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-25. 
  18. ^ a b "Sikorsky X2 TD". unicopter.com. September 18, 2010. http://www.unicopter.com/1465.html. Retrieved November 21, 2010. 
  19. ^ Note: this is the disc area of one rotor set, not the effective area of the whole coaxial rotors set.
  20. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/09/mil-100915-sikorsky01.htm

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