YH-32 Hornet

Hiller YH-32 Hornet in museum display

The Hiller YH-32 Hornet was built by Hiller Aircraft in the early 1950's. It was a small and unique design because it was powered by two Hiller 8RJ2B ramjet engines mounted on the rotor blade tips. Versions of the YH-32 Hornet were built for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy in the early 1950's.

The Hiller Museum identifies the YH-32A, named the Sally Rand, as the first helicopter gunship.

Specifications (YH-32)

General characteristics

• Crew: two pilots
• Length: ()
• Rotor diameter: 23 ft (6.9 m)
• Height: 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m)
• Disc area: 402 ft² (37.4 m²)
• Empty weight: 544 lb (247 kg)
• Loaded weight: 1,080 lb (490 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Hiller 8RJ2B ramjets, 40 lbf (178 N) each

Performance

• Range: 28 miles (52 km)
• Service ceiling: 6,900 ft (2,100 m)
• Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (213 m/min)
• Disc loading: 2.7 lb/ft² (13 kg/m²)

References

• Display information at Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.
• Hiller Aviation Museum timeline "The First 100 Years of Aviation" [1]

External links

• Hiller Aviation Museum: The First 100 Years of Aviation

Related content

Designation sequence
H-29 - H-30 - YH-31 - YH-32 - XH-33 - H-34 - H-35

See also

• Fairey Rotodyne - a gyrodyne (jet tipped rotor driven at take off and landing only)
• Rotary Rocket - with rocket tipped rotor blades