Wed, May 21, 2008
Demonstrator Conducts First 'Blades-On' Ground Tests
Sikorsky Aircraft announced a major milestone for its X2
Technology Demonstrator program this week at EBACE 2008 --
successful ground tests of the aircraft with rotor blades installed
and spinning for the first time.
The initial "blades-on" ground test was conducted May 13, and
"went according to plan" according to company officials. The ground
tests are continuing at Sikorsky's Schweizer Aircraft Corp.
rapid-prototyping facility in Horseheads, NY in preparation for the
X2 Technology Demonstrator's first flight.
"The entire X2 Technology Demonstrator Program Team is extremely
pleased that we continue to move our experimental program closer
and closer to first flight," said James Kagdis, Program Manager,
Advanced Programs. "We anticipate that reaching this particular
milestone, as with those yet to come, will continue to pique the
interest of our military, commercial and international customers
regarding the potential that X2 Technology could have on their
diverse missions around the globe."
As ANN has reported, the X2
Technology Demonstrator combines an integrated suite of
technologies intended to advance the state-of-the-art,
counter-rotating coaxial rotor helicopter. It is designed to
demonstrate a helicopter can cruise comfortably at 250 knots, while
retaining such desirable helicopter attributes as excellent low
speed handling, efficient hovering and autorotation safety, and a
seamless and simple transition to high speed.
Among the high-tech features of the X2 Technology Demonstrator
are fly-by-wire flight controls, and counter-rotating rigid rotor
blades (shown below).
Sikorsky Aircraft first announced the initiative to develop an
integrated suite of technologies called X2 Technology in June 2005.
The project is funded solely by Sikorsky.
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