Fast Flying

In the world of aircraft, there is a tradeoff between the ability to hover and the ability to go fast. Meaning, that helicopters do a great job of hovering, but aren’t so good at going really fast, at least compared with, say a jet, which can go really fast but is not so good at hovering, Harriers and other short take-off vertical landing aircraft notwithstanding. Of course, you have to give it up to the AV8D Harrier, which can hover and travel at 585 knots (673 mph).

 

 

However, the product developers at Sikorsky Aircraft (sikorsky.com) are working on X2 Technology and have built a demonstrator with its Light Helicopter Div. of Sikorsky Global Helicopters. (And while on this subject: Igor Sikorsky, father of the first successful helicopter, established the company in 1925.) The X2 Technology aircraft is being developed to travel at up to 250 knots (288 mph). By way of comparison, the VH-60M Black Hawk and S-92 Superhawk helicopters, which are quick, have a top speed of 151 knots (174 mph). The X2 demonstrator is what is known as a counter-rotating coaxial rotor helicopter, which provides the means by which it can not only go fast in a forward direction, but has what is described as "excellent low speed handling, efficient hovering, and autorotation safety." You may notice that it doesn’t have a conventional tail rotor. To help achieve speed there is a "pusher prop," an auxiliary propulsion system.