Static Display Planned At AAAA Annual Forum And Expo This Week

The Collier Award-winning X2 Technology demonstrator will be on static display at the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) Annual Professional Forum and Exposition April 18-20 in Nashville, TN. It is the first time Sikorsky Aircraft is showing the aircraft at the military trade show.

The static display gives AAAA show attendees the opportunity to view the demonstrator just seven months after it set an unofficial world speed record for conventional helicopters when it reached a speed of 250 knots true air speed in level flight on Sept. 15, 2010. The first application of the X2 technologies will be incorporated into a new helicopter program, the S-97 Raider prototype.

Sikorsky plans to design, build and fly two S-97 Raider prototype light tactical helicopters to enable the U.S. military to evaluate the viability of a fast and maneuverable next generation rotorcraft for a variety of combat missions. The X2 Technology demonstrator and the S-97 Raider mockup recently were displayed together in the courtyard of The Pentagon, allowing military representatives and media housed in the facility a rare opportunity to see the two aircraft up close and side by side.

"With the success of the X2 Technology demonstrator program, Sikorsky has begun showing the U.S. military services this next-generation rotorcraft technology that offers the functionality to outmaneuver conventional helicopters, hover at twice the altitude, and perform quick stops and close-air support agility," said Steve Engebretson, director of Sikorsky's armed aerial scout program. "The X2 Technology demonstrator captured the world's attention with its speed capabilities, but its technology also brings greater endurance and the ability to operate at high and hot altitudes, a valuable suite of tools for today's military."

Like the X2 Technology demonstrator, the S-97 Raider helicopter will feature twin coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller that enables an X2-designed helicopter to cruise at 220 knots. Other innovative technologies include fly-by-wire flight controls, hub drag reduction, active vibration control, and an integrated auxiliary propulsion system.

S-97 Computer Rendering

X2 Technology demonstrator Chief Pilot Kevin Bredenbeck and Engebretson will deliver five presentations on the X2 Technology demonstrator and the S-97 Raider during AAAA.

FMI: www.quad-a.org