Forget the chopper, I want one of them cool orange suits !

gl123844

We need VIDEO STAT!

wanago

It looks like a Barracuda.

takashimiike Ultimate

Very cool.

Having counter-rotating blades means there's always a blade cutting into the air and providing balanced lift.

This normally isn't a problem until you reach higher speeds, thus their use here.

Awesome looking too. Like it's the future or something.

strider_mt2k

@BigDogues: Fun on a good day... Helicopter test pilots at Sikorsky are cautioned not to buy the green bananas.

frigg

Actually the Russians had a helicopter with ejector seats.
It had the counter-rotating blades and they fitted the rotors with explosive bolts so that when you pulled the handles, the rotor bolts blew and launched the rotors off into space. I always thought it had a kind of "Death Blossom" feel to it.

Ka-50... that was the one.

sqeakytoy of the apocalypse

It's all fun and games until someone tries out the ejector seat.

OMG! Ponies!

[tri.army.mil]

They's going back to they roots.

the Cheyenne by lockheed had the pusher prop back in the 60's and had a forward speed of 246MPH. They have one on display out at Ft Rucker.

sqeakytoy of the apocalypse

@gl123844: They are actually from the local prison cleaning up trash.

It's easier to get one of those suits than you think. ;)

strider_mt2k

Helicopter test pilot looks like a fun job.
However the ejector seat is a real bitch.

BigDogues

It slices, it dices, chops and makes perfect julienne potatoes for the most delicious french fries you'll ever have. Just look at how easily the blades cut right through the pilot.. er.. can.

Maxxofor

@sqeakytoy of the apocalypse: Well of course that's the Death Blossom. Because when you hit the rotors - which did not blow off due to shoddy construction - you die in flourish of vermillion.

I never figured out how COBRA pilots ejected. Everytime the Joes would shoot a COBRA helicopter down, up would pop a little parachute - right into the rotors.

OMG! Ponies!

I'd like mine with a little hot-rod red on it.

LenMan

how is this news? Airwolf was going faster than this 20 years ago! With killer mood music to boot!!

meh!

heh heh heh

banmojo

Sikorsky is tamping down the expectations for this X2, though...they basically issued a "Don't get impatient" statement that said they've got a long way to go with it. But there is a Blackhawk with real wings and a similar tail fan arrangement whizzing around in tests too. I think they're banking on tiltrotor technology not measuring up over the long haul.

Jeb_Hoge

Someone needs to come up with a real version of the "Whisper Craft" from Arnold's "6th Day" movie. [forums.x-plane.org]

Ayeco

about time.

zamafir

FUCK! I am full of ideas, I actually even know now how to make this one better for combat... I shit you not, but what changes even if I am.

I should start patenting my ideas, but too busy even for that

Crescent

@banmojo: Except Airwolf was going faster because of fancy 80's style editing, even though it was just a regular little commercial chopper painted black with glowing scifi missiles. Man I miss that show.

Anyway, coaxial rotor choppers are cool.

Kaiser-Machead on the Edge

Awesome: Completely approve of the counter-rotating rotors.
Terrible: The idea to utilize a rear propeller design... a 3rd grader thought of this!
Lack of Imagination: The Russians used counter-rotating rotors... called the KA-50... I think it was made b Kamov Helicopters?

Thoughts: Get rid of the rear-prop design and throw money into R&D for a "Bell-type" helicopter turbine with thrust vectoring technology.

thugtastic

Terrible idea. Simply a copy of the KA-50, designed by Kamov Helicopter (I think)..

The counter-rotating blades is a brilliant design and I would keep it but the rear propeller... a kid could have designed it... no true innovation there.

Get rid of the rear propeller and put money into R&D for a "Bell type turbine and incorporating a vector thrust type technology. That would have been a whole lot cooler and opened the door to true innovation in rotary craft.

thugtastic

Simply a copy of the KA-50... I think it was made by Kamov Helicopters. No originality here.

Get rid of the rear propeller and be innovative by throwing some money into R&D for a "Bell-type" helicopter turbine system and incorporate vector thrust technology.

Seriously!

thugtastic

The design is not original. Simply copying the Russians KA-50 (made by Kamov Helicopters I think???).

The counter-rotating blades should be kept but the rear propeller design eliminated. It would be more interesting to put R&D into some sort of "Bell-type" helicopter turbine incorporating some type of vectoring. Get rid of the rear-propeller design.

thugtastic

@gl123844:

In other news, the Beasty Boys have given up a lucrative music career to design experimental aircraft for Sikorsky.

Mike D had the following comment - "The girls dig it when I rev my motor, check the spin on my triple rotor."

chaoslink

The utility military derivative is projected to travel 230 knots, and the attack at 250 knots. There will most likely be a commercial version but it is probable that it will become a niche much like the AW609.

jmm5149

I'm sure NBC has a new lame TV show coming out next fall based on this helicopter. Airwolf 2009 starring Shia LaBeouf? (That kid's gonna burn out fast)

twisted_bob

never mind, I missed the 250 knots cruise speed, that's twice that of the Helix and even faster than the Ka-50 Hokum.

But I'm skeptical that a military 'dirty' version of this could achieve 250knots.

helldiver

as much as I h8 to admit it , the Russians will always be ahead of us in helicopter technology.

this Sikorksy design looks like a cheapified knock-off of the

Kamov Ka-27 Helix

helldiver

@twisted_bob: And of course, it will convert itself into a miriad of Ford vehicles. But Shia only drives GM products, so he's out.

Git Em SteveDave is starlost

@wanago:

+ Watch video

Git Em SteveDave is starlost

The army tried this back in the 60's, never really got it
to work properly. I guess technology finally caught up with it. I used to build scale plastic models, and when I built an AH64 Apache, the book I did the research on, had an experimental copter that Lockheed messed around with called
an AH-56 Cheyenne. Has pretty much the same design, except for the "typical" tail rotor, this one has the dual rotor head to combat the anti-torque.
[en.wikipedia.org]

p51d007

Isn't 240-250 knots about the limit for a heli? I've read bad stuff happens when the leading edge of the blade breaks the sound barrier at right about that speed.

Pwnieboy was BOCultist was Epaminondas

Not enough propellers! They should tack on another one, in the front.

misterwho

@thugtastic, thugtastic, thugtastic, thugtastic: Hmm, I'm still not getting it, could you try one more time?

Toshie

@Git Em SteveDave is starlost: Arg I watched that entire video waiting for the heli to plant a rotor on the table.

Enochrewt

""""Pwnieboy was BOCultist... at 11:57 AM Reply *

Isn't 240-250 knots about the limit for a heli? I've read bad stuff happens when the leading edge of the blade breaks the sound barrier at right about that speed.""""

It is called retreating blade stall and it is the main reason why helicopters can't go as fast as airplanes. The counter rotating blades reduce the problems with torque, and the design of the rotor systems head has the potential for increased speed not that is has two rotors. My guess is it's a very rigid system that uses composite materials to absorbe the abuse. The pusher prop in the back takes the stress off the rotor system having to work hard at producing all the forward speed. This makes the helicopter more stable in forward flight at high speeds and low density pressures without having to worry about blowback or blade stall. As advanced as the Soviet Helicopters are they wouldn't stand a chance keeping up with thing on a long distance run and speed is the key for this type of design. True they have had some great helicopters but none have been faster then the Puma. Rotor craft by nature of being able to flying in any direction is what limits them in forward flight and that limits the potential usage over long distances. It would be nice to get my hands on this bad boy for a couple of hours in the logbook!!!

casualrdt

@strider_mt2k: "It's easier to get one of those suits than you think"

So I've found. A little too easy.

GadgetPlay

@casualrdt:

Yes, And, doesn't the forward pusher/rotor combo also change the attack angle of the retreating rotor blade, thus changing the stall characteristic of it?

tabaks

@thugtastic:

Simply put: Russian KA-50 and this prototype are as similar as a rubber eraser and condom are, both being made of rubber.

tabaks

And where´s the video?

ddtx2

@GadgetPlay: Tell me about it. For me it was as easy as taking candy from a baby. And by baby I mean she was 17, but told me she was 18. And by candy I mean, n/m.

Git Em SteveDave is starlost

Pffffttttt! That's nothing! We had Airwolf back in the 1980's!

+ Watch video

squishyalt

@thugtastic: I'm sorry, what was that again? Wasn't quite sure I got it the first 4 times...

@OMG! Ponies!: think last starfighter death blossom

sqeakytoy of the apocalypse

Does this mean I can strap a prop on the back of my cx2 and make it go 50mph?

m4ximusprim3

Yes, it was done before in the Ka-50 and the AH-56. We get it.

Hey, did you ever see one of those Russian-built rockets? They have the same sort of shape as our rockets! I can't believe they'd use a similar design!

barco

@thugtastic:

You really have no clue do you...

Ka-50
Maximum speed: 390 km/h (204 knots, 242 mph) in dive
Cruise speed: 270 km/h (146 knots, 168 mph)

AH-56 had a pusher prop
Maximum speed: 212 knots (244 mph, 393 km/h)
Cruise speed: 195 knots (225 mph, 362 km/h)

X2 Cruise speed is 250kts...

The KA-50 is not the greatest helicopter in the world... and its not even the fastest.

casualrdt

tabaks at 01:21 PM Reply *
@casualrdt:

Yes, And, doesn't the forward pusher/rotor combo also change the attack angle of the retreating rotor blade, thus changing the stall characteristic of it?

Depending on the design it very well could. My guess is the rotor slows down in foward flight so the blades don't reach stall speed. That would also reduce the angle of attack as speed increased. If thrust was no longer just coming from the rotor you could just about flatten the blades and slave the blades like a gyroplane, to a degree, design them so they never reached stall speeds at the tips. Either way it would be great to see modern helicopters go faster... it would make my job more fun!!! VNE 250kts!!!

casualrdt

Well this one sounds pretty good, but it will take the rest of the specs to really decide like range and lifting power. There's more than just top speed and such that goes into it, like a car.

Nick_Bentley

@strider_mt2k: The counter rotation of the second/bottom main rotor does not make for balanced lift - single installation main rotors already do that. The courter rotation of the second main rotor is to "...counteract the yaw motion and the torque..." of a single main rotor. Thus keeping the whole craft from spinning around with the rotation of the, in this case, top main rotor.

Current helicopter designs keep this from happening by running a tail rotor that pushes against the spin direction of the main rotor.

unspellable

Why is Devo in that first picture?

fosin