Hiller XH-44 | |
|---|---|
| 국가 | 미국 |
| 역할 | 동축 로토 헬리콥터 |
| 첫 비행 | 1942-1944 |
| 내장 | Unknow |
Hiller Aircraft Company was founded in 1942 as Hiller Industries by Stanley Hiller to develop helicopters. Stanley Hiller, then seventeen, established the first helicopter factory on the West Coast of the United States, located in Berkeley, California, in 1942, under the name “Hiller Industries,” to develop his design for the coaxial-rotor XH-44 미군을 위한 "힐러-콥터". XH-44는 1944년에 가동되었다. Henry J. Kaiser와 협력하여 1945 년 United Helicopters가되었습니다. 전후 몇 년 동안 United Helicopter는 동축 로터 및 꼬리가없는 디자인뿐만 아니라보다 전통적인 모델을 포함하여 군사 및 민간 목적을위한 혁신적인 헬리콥터 디자인을 많이 생산했습니다. 1949년 1월, 힐러 360은 미국을 횡단한 최초의 민간 헬리콥터가 되었다.
소스: 힐러 XH-44 위키백과에
| Hiller XH-44 Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographer | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Localisation | Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos |
| Photos | 57 |
참고 항목:
General Characteristics and Role
The Hiller XH-44 “Jet-Rotor” was an early and highly experimental American helicopter, developed by Stanley Hiller, Jr., during the 1940s. It was the first helicopter to use a unique propulsion system known as tip-jet drive, where compressed air mixed with fuel was ignited and expelled from the tips of the main rotor blades to provide thrust. The primary advantage of this “cold jet” or “hot jet” system was the elimination of the complex and heavy mechanical drivetrain and anti-torque tail rotor typically required by conventional helicopters. The XH-44 was an exceptionally simple and light aircraft for its time, and while it did successfully fly, demonstrating the tip-jet principle, the concept suffered from high fuel consumption and noise, leading to its eventual discontinuation for practical use. The XH-44 was the first helicopter produced by Hiller and helped launch the company’s career in aviation.
| Property | Typical Value (XH-44 Prototype) |
|---|---|
| 역할 | Experimental Proof-of-Concept Helicopter |
| National Origin | 미국 |
| 제조업체 | Hiller Helicopters (Hiller-Copter) |
| First Flight | July 1944 |
| 승무원 | 1 (Pilot) |
| Rotor System | Two-bladed main rotor |
| Rotor Diameter (Approx.) | 7.62 m (25 ft 0 in) |
| Length (Fuselage) | 3.78 m (12 ft 5 in) |
| Empty Weight (Approx.) | 145 kg (320 lb) |
| Gross Weight (Approx.) | 300 kg (660 lb) |
Powerplant and Propulsion
- Engine: 1 x Franklin 4ACG-199 piston engine driving an air compressor (not driving the rotor directly).
- Rotor Drive: Tip-jet system. The engine drove a compressor that sent compressed air through ducts in the rotor blades. Fuel was injected and ignited at the tip nozzles to generate propulsive jet thrust (a “hot cycle”).
- Maximum Speed: Approximately 137 km/h (85 mph; 74 kn).
- Range: Very short, due to the low fuel efficiency of the tip-jet concept.
- Tail Rotor: None required. Torque reaction from the main rotor was eliminated because the thrust was applied at the blade tips, making the fuselage inherently stable in yaw.
Design Legacy
- Significance: The XH-44 proved that the jet-powered rotor concept was feasible, attracting initial interest from the U.S. Navy.
- Design Simplicity: The elimination of the heavy transmission, gears, and tail rotor simplified the design and reduced manufacturing complexity.
- Successor: Hiller’s next and more successful designs, such as the Hiller 360, abandoned the jet-rotor in favor of a conventional mechanical drive but retained Hiller’s revolutionary use of a servocontrol paddle system for simplified control input.
- Preservation: The original XH-44 prototype is preserved and on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
전망 : 1222
