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The Hiller YH-32 Hornet is an American ultralight helicopter built by Hiller Aircraft in the early 1950s. It was a small and unique design because it was powered by two Hiller 8RJ2B ramjet engines mounted on the rotor blade tips which weigh 13 lb (5.9 kg) each and deliver an equivalent of 45 hp (34 kW) for a total of 90 hp (67 kW). Versions of the HJ-1 Hornet were built for the United States Army and the United States Navy in the early 1950s.
The Bensen B-8 is a small, single-seat autogyro developed in the United States in the 1950s. Although the original manufacturer stopped production in 1987, plans for homebuilders are still available as of 2019. Its design was a refinement of the Bensen B-7, and like that aircraft, the B-8 was initially built as an unpowered rotor-kite. It first flew in this form in 1955, and on 6 December a powered version, designated B-8M first flew. The design proved to be extremely popular and long-lasting, with thousands of sets of plans sold over the next thirty years.
The Hughes XH-17 "Flying Crane" was the first helicopter project for the helicopter division of Hughes Aircraft Company. The XH-17, which had a two-bladed main rotor system with a diameter of 134 feet, still holds the world record for flying with the largest rotor system. It was capable of flying at a gross weight of more than 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg), but proved too inefficient and cumbersome to be mass-produced beyond the prototype unit.
The Aerotécnica AC-12Pepo is a Spanish two-seat light helicopter manufactured in 1956 by Aerotécnica.
The RotorWay Scorpion is a family of helicopters manufactured by RotorWay International.
The Hughes XV-9 was a 1960s American high-speed research helicopter built by Hughes Helicopters.
The NHI H-3 Kolibrie was a small helicopter developed in the Netherlands in the 1950s by Nederlandse Helikopter Industrie. It first flew in May 1956.
The McDonnell XV-1 is an experimental Convertiplane developed by McDonnell Aircraft for a joint research program between the United States Air Force and the United States Army to explore technologies to develop an aircraft that could take off and land like a helicopter but fly at faster airspeeds, similar to a conventional airplane. The XV-1 would reach a speed of 200 mph, faster than any previous rotorcraft, but the program was terminated due to the tip-jet noise and complexity of the technology which gave only a modest gain in performance.
The Sikorsky XH-39, developed by Sikorsky Aircraft in 1954, was the U.S. Army's first turbine-powered helicopter. It was fast and innovative, but ultimately rejected by the United States Army in favor of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois.
The Bensen B-6 is a small rotor kite developed by Igor Bensen in the United States in the early 1950s and marketed for home building. It was a minimalist design based on Bensen's B-5 and consisting of little more than a seat mounted on wooden skids and with a two-blade rotor mounted on a tubular framework above it. Small fins for directional stability were mounted at the rear of the skids. The pitch of the rotors was fixed, but a handlebar allowed them to be tilted for directional control.
The Bensen B-7 was a small rotor kite developed by Igor Bensen in the United States in the 1950s and marketed for home building. It was a refined to be a slightly larger version of the B-6, replacing the skids with a tricycle undercarriage, and adding a single large fin to the rear of the aircraft.
The Bensen B-9 Little Zipster was a small helicopter developed by Igor Bensen in the United States in the 1950s and marketed for home building. Similar in general configuration to Bensen's previous rotor kite and autogyro designs, it consisted of an open aluminum framework but substituted the autorotating main rotor for a coaxial, counter-rotating system of two, two-bladed rotors. A large tailfin provided directional stability, and the aircraft was controlled by a handlebar system extending over the pilot's head to the rotor hub.
The American Helicopter XH-26 Jet Jeep is an experimental tip jet helicopter developed in 1951 by the American Helicopter Company to meet a United States Army and Air Force (USAF) request for a collapsible and air-droppable observation helicopter.
The Piasecki H-16 Transporter was a tandem-rotor transport or rescue helicopter designed by Frank Piasecki and built by Piasecki Helicopter. The prototypes were evaluated by the United States Air Force and Army, but the crash of the second test aircraft led to cancelling the project.
The HZ-1 Aerocycle, also known as the YHO-2 and by the manufacturer's designation DH-5 Aerocycle, was an American one-man "personal helicopter" developed by de Lackner Helicopters in the mid-1950s. Intended to be operated by inexperienced pilots with a minimum of 20 minutes of instruction, the HZ-1 was expected to become a standard reconnaissance machine with the United States Army. Although early testing showed that the craft had promise for providing mobility on the atomic battlefield, more extensive evaluation proved that the aircraft was in fact too difficult to control for operation by untrained infantrymen, and after a pair of crashes the project was abandoned. A single model of the craft was put on display.
The Goodyear GA-400R Gizmo is a one-man helicopter proposed in the 1950s for duties such as liaison and observation.
The Vortech Kestrel Jet is an American tip-jet helicopter that was designed in the 1980s. Kits for amateur construction were originally provided by Vortech and plans remain available.
The Vortech A/W 95 is an American helicopter that was designed by Adams-Wilson as the Adams-Wilson Choppy and now produced in an improved version by Vortech of Fallston, Maryland. The aircraft is supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction. Vortech also supplies rotor blades and other key parts for the design.
The Vortech Meg-2XH Strap-On is an American helicopter that was designed and produced by Vortech of Fallston, Maryland. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit and also in the form of plans for amateur construction. Vortech also supplied rotor blades for the design.
The McDonnell 120 Flying Crane, also V-1 Jeep, was a lightweight utility flying crane helicopter designed and built by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation during the 1950s. The open frame fuselage supported the three gas-producers and main rotor mast, with a small single-seat cockpit in the nose, which was originally open, but later enclosed.
References
- ↑ "Helicopter With Five Pound Ramjet Engines to Fly 80 Miles Per Hour". Popular Mechanics. June 1954. p. 138. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
- Lambermont, Paul Marcel (1958). Helicopters and Autogyros of the World.