Posted by John McHale
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., 31 July 2011. Officials at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced that company's X2 Technology demonstrator made its final flight, marking the end of the program. The X2 Technology demonstrator helicopter program will be transitioning to its first application, the S-97 Raider.The last flight was the twenty-third made by the X2 aircraft, which flew about 22 total hours and achieved a maximum cruise speed of 253 knots in level flight at its peak point in the program. That milestone was an unofficial speed record for a conventional helicopter, company officials say."This flight is the culmination of a five-year, internally funded program to expand the operational envelope of helicopters," says Jeffrey Pino, Sikorsky president. "The results of this program speak to the success of a rapid prototyping environment, where a small empowered team was able to meet a specific number of very challenging goals. We met these within a small budget and a compressed schedule. The X2 program also has helped to develop the next generation of Sikorsky engineers, including some who are now in key positions on the S-97 Raider program and the Firefly electric helicopter program."The S-97 Raider helicopter program will design, build, and fly two prototype light tactical helicopters so that U.S. military officials can evaluate the viability of a fast and maneuverable next-generation rotorcraft for a variety of combat missions. "This program will produce two prototype assault/attack aircraft with six passenger cabins and the ability to carry armament," says Mark Miller, Sikorsky Vice president of research and engineering. "In addition to the superior speed and maneuverability of X2 technology, these aircraft are designed to be capable of 10,000-foot hover out of ground effect on a 95-degree day. The future awaits this technology, and today we can say that we see it on the horizon."The S-97 helicopter will have twin coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller that enables an X2-designed helicopter to cruise at 220 knots. It will also have fly-by-wire flight controls, active vibration control, hub drag reduction, and an integrated auxiliary propulsion system.
