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Sikorsky XH-39
The Sikorsky XH-39 (manufacturer designation S-59), developed by Sikorsky Aircraft in 1954, was the U.S. Army’s first turbine-powered helicopter. It was fast and innovative, but ultimately rejected by the United States Army in favor of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois.
Contents
Design and development
The four-seat XH-39 was powered by one Continental CAE XT51-T-3 400 shp (298 kW) turboshaft engine, a license-built development of the Turbomeca Artouste. It was developed from a previous Sikorsky model, the H-18 (company model S-52), and had the same layout. It differed in using retractable tricycle landing gear, modified tail rotor, and four-blade main rotor.[1] In the end, the U.S. Army selected the Bell XH-40, precursor to the famed UH-1 Huey . Two YH-18As were modified into XH-39s one for flight testing the other for static test.
On August 26, 1954, the S-59 set a world helicopter speed record of 155.9 mph (251 km/h). The same year, it set a world helicopter altitude record of 24500 ft (7474 m).
Variants
- XH-39
- Former YH-18A modified for static testing, not flown and later modified back to YH-18A standard.
- XH-39A
- Former YH-18A modified for flight testing.
Specifications (XH-39)
Data from U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947 [2]
General characteristics
- Crew: Four
- Length: 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m)
- Rotor diameter: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
- Height: 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
- Disc area: 962 ft² (89.4 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,105 lb (957 kg)
- Loaded weight: 3,361 lb (1,528 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Continental CAE XT51-T-3 turboshaft, 400 shp (298 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 136 knots (156 mph, 251 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 120 knots (138 mph, 222 km/h)
- Range: 243 NM (280 mi, 451 km)
- Service ceiling: 17,900 ft (5,460 m)
- Disc loading: 3.49 lb/ft² (17.1 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.12 hp/lb (0.20 kW/kg)
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
See also
- UH-1 Iroquois variants
- Bell Huey - overview of all models
- US Helicopter Armament Subsystems
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References
Notes
Bibliography
- Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife, 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8.
- Polmar, Norman, and Kennedy, Floyd D., Jr. Military Helicopters of the World. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1981. ISBN 0-870321-383-0.
External links
- "Sikorsky Model XH-39 (S-59)." at Global Security (accessed 12 May 2008)
Template:Sikorsky Aircraft Template:USAF helicopters
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
| This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sikorsky XH-39". |
