American high-speed helicopter SB1 Defiant dispersed faster than 100 knots
The promising multipurpose high-speed helicopter SB> 1 Defiant, developed by a consortium of Sikorsky and Boeing, made its maiden flight at a speed of over 100 knots (185 kilometers per hour). The tests took place at the airfield of the American company Sikorsky in West Palm Beach (Florida). Boeing posted a video of these tests on its YouTube page.
As the developers explained, accelerating a helicopter to a speed of over 100 knots is one of the most important marks when testing the latest high-speed helicopters. At the next stage of testing, which took place on January 13, 2020, the helicopter not only accelerated faster than 100 knots, but also he performed a series of turns with a roll of 30 degrees. The tests are recognized as successful.
The creation of SB> 1 is carried out on a competitive basis within the framework of the US Army program for the development of helicopters of a new concept for the creation of a family of promising army vehicles aviation... The first built prototype of the SB> 1 demonstrator was shown on December 26, 2018.
According to the requirements of the US Army, the new helicopter must transport 12 fully equipped infantrymen with a cruising speed of at least 230 nodes (about 428 km / h) to a distance of at least 229 nautical miles (424 km). The program provides for the creation of five types of new helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircraft to replace the entire fleet of US Army helicopters (OH-58, AH-64, UH-60, CH-47), starting around 2030-2035.
The SB> 1 helicopter uses Sikorsky's new main rotor system that combines coaxial counter-rotating rotors with a tail rotor driven by a rotor gearbox. This scheme was tested on the demonstrator of the 2015-ton S-5 Raider helicopter, which has been tested since May 97, with a "passport" maximum speed of 444 km / h and a cruising speed of 407 km / h.
The maximum takeoff weight SB> 1 is declared at 32000 lb (14515 kg), with a capacity of up to 18 people. The helicopter is equipped with modified Honeywell T55 turboshaft engines with a take-off power of approximately 4000 hp and a cruising speed of 460 km / h.
The competitor to SB> 1 Sikorsky and Boeing in the program to replace the US Army's helicopter fleet is the V-280 Valor tiltrotor of the Bell and Lockheed Martin consortium, the prototype of which has been flight tested since December 18, 2017.
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