| FH-01/4 "Atlantic" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Firth Helicopter and Planet Satellite side-views showing derivation | |
| Role | Helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Firth Helicopters Ltd. |
| Designer | Major Dundas Heenan |
| Introduction | Cancelled |
| Retired | 1954 |
| Status | Experimental |
| Number built | 1 |
| Variants | Planet Satellite |
The Firth Helicopter was a British helicopter of the early 1950s. Designed to exploit new outrigger rotor technology, the helicopter was abandoned during construction.
Based on the designs of American engineer Fred Landgraf who established the Landgraf Helicopter Corporation in the early years of the Second World War, The Firth Helicopter was more of a "proof-of-concept" aircraft than a true prototype. Firth Helicopters Ltd. had obtained rights to the Landgraf patents regarding a concept which involved twin outrigger pylons carrying three-bladed rotors fitted with ailerons to change direction.
The design team of Heenan, Winn and Steele, led by Major J.N. Dundas Heenan who had been previously involved in a similarly unorthodox 1948 aircraft project, the Planet Satellite, utilized the fuselage of the second Satellite prototype, registered G-ALXP in 1951. The small, streamlined Satellite monocoque fuselage consisted of panels of an extremely light magnesium-zirconium alloy. The original contours tapered to a butterfly tail that was eliminated and replaced by a single fin to be topped by a tailplane in a "T tail" design; surprisingly, the Satellite fuselage was integrated seamlessly into the new helicopter planform. [1]
The Satellite's four-seat configuration allowed for a larger helicopter than the Landgraf H-2/H-3 series (the H-4 would have been a 5/8 passenger helicopter) which had been the basis of the first Landgraf concept helicopters. The twin non-articulated type rotors were powered by two 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Majors.
In 1952, Firth Helicopters began the construction of the FH-01/4 (still registered as G-ALXP) at their Thame, UK facilities. Although the majority of the work had been completed, technical problems with excessive weight on the anterior part of the rotors seemed to be unsurmountable given the limited financial resources of the company. Gradually work ground to a halt without final equipment being installed and no hope for a first flight. The Firth FH-01/4 was presented to the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield in 1955.
Heavenly Body [2]
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
The Focke-Wulf Fw 61 is often considered the first practical, functional helicopter, first flown in 1936. It was also known as the Fa 61, as Focke began a new company—Focke-Achgelis—in 1937.
The Bell XV-15 is an American tiltrotor VTOL aircraft. It was the second successful experimental tiltrotor aircraft and the first to demonstrate the concept's high speed performance relative to conventional helicopters.
The Bell 427 is a twin-engine, multirole, light utility helicopter designed and manufactured by Bell Helicopter and Samsung Aerospace Industries. It has been replaced in production by the larger Bell 429.
The Focke-Wulf Triebflügel, or Triebflügeljäger, literally meaning "thrust-wing hunter", was a German concept for an aircraft designed in 1944, during the final phase of World War II, as a defence against the ever-increasing Allied bombing raids on central Germany. It was a vertical take-off and landing tailsitter interceptor design for local defense of important factories or areas which had small or no airfields.
The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache was a helicopter developed by Germany during World War II. A single 750-kilowatt (1,010 hp) Bramo 323 radial engine powered two three-bladed 11.9-metre (39 ft) rotors mounted on twin booms on either side of the 12.2-metre-long (40 ft) cylindrical fuselage. Although the Fa 223 is noted for being the first helicopter to attain production status, production of the helicopter was hampered by Allied bombing of the factory, and only 20 were built.
The MD Helicopters MD 600N is a light utility civilian helicopter designed in the United States. It is a stretched eight-seat development of the five-seat MD 520N helicopter.
The Agusta A.101 was a large prototype transport helicopter developed in Italy during the 1960s. Despite prospective orders from the Italian armed forces, no buyers emerged and the project was abandoned in 1971.
The Cierva W.11 Air Horse was a helicopter developed by the Cierva Autogiro Company in the United Kingdom during the mid-1940s. The largest helicopter in the world at the time of its debut, the Air Horse was unusual for using three rotors mounted on outriggers, and driven by a single engine mounted inside the fuselage.
The Planet Satellite was a British light aircraft of the late 1940s. Designed to exploit new technology, the aircraft was abandoned after two crashes although the innovative fuselage was later incorporated into a helicopter prototype.
The Bratukhin Omega was an early Soviet helicopter, the first product of a new Soviet design bureau, OKB-3 that was created from within TsAGI specifically to develop rotary-wing aircraft. Bratukhin's design was a side-by-side twin rotor machine, with each rotor carried on a long outrigger truss. The Omega's rotors were each powered by a separate engine carried in a nacelle also at the end of the truss. Captive trials commenced in August 1941 and revealed severe problems with engine vibration and overheating. Before these could be addressed, however, OKB-3 was evacuated ahead of the German advance into the Soviet Union.
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 Fiat Model 7002 was a 1960s Italian general-purpose helicopter with a tip jet driven rotor built by Fiat Aviazione. Only one aircraft was built.
The Sud-Ouest SO.1221 Djinn is a French two-seat light helicopter designed and manufactured by aircraft manufacturer Sud-Ouest (SNCASO), which was later merged into Sud Aviation. It was the first production French helicopter, as well as being one of the first practical European helicopters to be produced. The Djinn was also the first rotorcraft to harness tip-jet propulsion to enter production.
The Flettner Fl 185 was an experimental German gyrodyne developed by Anton Flettner, a machine which could fly both as a helicopter and as a gyroplane.
The Landgraf H-2 was an American single-seat twin-rotor helicopter designed by Fred Landgraf and built by the Landgraf Helicopter Company of Los Angeles, California. Although awarded a development contract by the United States Army, it was not developed and was overtaken by more advanced designs.
The Kellett XR-8 was a helicopter built in the United States during World War II. It was a two-seat machine intended to demonstrate the feasibility of a twin-rotor system and, while it accomplished this, it also demonstrated a number of problems that prevented further development of this particular design.
The Airmaster H2-B1 is a British two-seat ultralight helicopter built by Airmaster Helicopters of Camberley, Surrey.
The Bell V-280 Valor is a tiltrotor aircraft being developed by Bell Helicopter for the United States Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. The aircraft was officially unveiled at the 2013 Army Aviation Association of America's (AAAA) Annual Professional Forum and Exposition in Fort Worth, Texas. The V-280 made its first flight on 18 December 2017 in Amarillo, Texas.
The Wombat Gyrocopters Wombat, sometimes called a Julian Wombat, is a British autogyro that was designed by Chris Julian and produced by Wombat Gyrocopters of St Columb, Cornwall, introduced in 1991. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
The Youngcopter Neo (transl. New) is a German NOTAR helicopter that was designed by Björn Jung and is under development by his company, Youngcopter of Mainz. It was first publicly introduced at the ILA Berlin Air Show in 2008. The aircraft is intended to be supplied as a kit for amateur construction.