Hiller ROE Rotorcycle

Last updated
Hiller ROE
Hiller YROE-1.jpg
A YROE-1 hovering in front of the Ames Hangar on 6 November 1963
Role ultralight helicopter
National origin United States
Manufacturer Hiller Aircraft
Saunders-Roe
First flightNovember 1956
Introduction1957
Retired1961
Primary user United States Marine Corps
Number built12

The Hiller ROE Rotorcycle was a single-seat ultralight helicopter designed in 1953 for a military requirement. [1] A total of 12 were produced for the United States Marine Corps. And in 1954, the Hiller Helicopters was selected by the US Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics to build this design of a one-man, foldable, self-rescue and observation helicopter. [2] It featured a two-blade rotor system. Its original empty weight was 290 lb (132 kg). [3]

Contents

Development

The helicopter folded up and could be carried on a sled-like carrier by two people or could be air-dropped to pilots trapped behind enemy lines. The Marines did not accept the YROE due to its low performance, vulnerability to small-arms fire and the lack of visual references on the structure. This problem could cause the pilot to experience spatial disorientation at all but very low altitudes. [1] The YROE or ROE never saw military service. [4]

In 1954, the United States Navy′s Bureau of Aeronautics selected Hiller to build its proposed design of a one-man helicopter. The XROE Rotocycle completed flight testing in mid-1957. [5]

It was demonstrated at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, for military and other government officials in early April 1958. [6]

Production was by Saunders-Roe, which made five for the United States Marine Corps and five for Helicop-Air of Paris. [7]

A Porsche engine of 62 hp (46 kW) developed for the YROE completed trials by 1961. [8]

Variants

XROE-1
2 prototypes built as Model 1033 at the Hiller Helicopter Plant in Palo Alto, California [4]
The first flight in November 1956 [9]
YROE-1
5 test versions built by British Saunders-Roe company
One donated to the Smithsonian Institution after completion of its testing in 1961 [9]
ROE-1
5 production built by Saunders-Roe (built ten production models, including the five YROE-1s) [9]

Specifications

Data from NASM : Hiller YROE-1 Rotorcycle, [9] Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59 [10]

General characteristics

(later 43 hp (32 kW) Nelson YO-65-2)

Performance

Survivors

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamov Ka-22</span> Soviet experimental gyrodyne

The Kamov Ka-22 Vintokryl was a rotorcraft developed by Kamov for the Soviet Air Force. The experimental transport aircraft combined the capabilities of a helicopter for vertical take-off and landing with those of a fixed-wing aircraft for cruise. The Ka-22 carried a large payload, having a hold comparable in size to the Antonov An-12. Eight world records for altitude and speed were set by the Ka-22 in its class, none of which have since been broken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell X-22</span> 1960s American V/STOL aircraft

The Bell X-22 is an American V/STOL X-plane with four tilting ducted fans. Takeoff was to selectively occur either with the propellers tilted vertically upwards, or on a short runway with the nacelles tilted forward at approximately 45°. Additionally, the X-22 was to provide more insight into the tactical application of vertical takeoff troop transporters such as the preceding Hiller X-18 and the X-22's successor, the Bell XV-15. Another program requirement was a true airspeed in level flight of at least 525 km/h.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamov Ka-10</span> Type of aircraft

The Kamov Ka-10 was a Soviet single-seat observation helicopter that first flew in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiller YH-32 Hornet</span> American ultralight helicopter

The Hiller YH-32 Hornet was 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee</span> Type of aircraft

The Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee was a unique direct-lift rotor aircraft, using contra-rotating ducted fans for lift inside a platform upon which the single pilot shifted body weight for directional control. The platform was developed starting in 1953 under an Office of Naval Research (ONR) contract to Hiller Aircraft, and flew successfully beginning in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH</span> Remotely-piloted Anti-Submarine Warfare helicopter

The Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH is a small drone helicopter built by Gyrodyne Company of America for use as a long-range anti-submarine weapon on ships that would otherwise be too small to operate a full-sized helicopter. It remained in production until 1969. Several are still used today for various land-based roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saunders-Roe Skeeter</span> Type of aircraft

The Saunders-Roe Skeeter is a two-seat training and scout helicopter that was developed and produced by British manufacturer Saunders-Roe ("Saro") of Cowes and Southampton, in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell XV-3</span> Experimental tiltrotor aircraft to explore convertiplane technologies

The Bell XV-3 is an American tiltrotor aircraft developed by Bell Helicopter for a joint research program between the United States Air Force and the United States Army in order to explore convertiplane technologies. The XV-3 featured an engine mounted in the fuselage with driveshafts transferring power to two-bladed rotor assemblies mounted on the wingtips. The wingtip rotor assemblies were mounted to tilt 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal, designed to allow the XV-3 to take off and land like a helicopter but fly at faster airspeeds, similar to a conventional fixed-wing aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairey Jet Gyrodyne</span> Type of aircraft

The Fairey Jet Gyrodyne is a British experimental compound gyroplane built by the Fairey Aviation Company that incorporated helicopter, gyrodyne and autogyro characteristics. The Jet Gyrodyne was the subject of a Ministry of Supply (MoS) research contract to gather data for the follow-up design, the Rotodyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LTV XC-142</span> Experimental military tilt-wing aircraft

The Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) XC-142 is a tiltwing experimental aircraft designed to investigate the operational suitability of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) transports. An XC-142A first flew conventionally on 29 September 1964, and completed its first transitional flight on 11 January 1965 by taking off vertically, changing to forward flight, and finally landing vertically. Its service sponsors pulled out of the program one by one, and it eventually ended due to a lack of interest after demonstrating its capabilities successfully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cessna CH-1 Skyhook</span> American helicopter built by Cessna

The Cessna CH-1 Skyhook is the only helicopter ever built by the Cessna Aircraft Company. It was the first helicopter to land on the summit of Pike's Peak and the last piston-engined helicopter to set the helicopter altitude record. The CH-1 had a single, two-bladed main rotor, and a front-mounted reciprocating engine which gave the aircraft a stable center of gravity (CG). Its semi-monocoque airframe greatly resembles its light airplane siblings built by Cessna. The CH-1 was named Skyhook for the civil market, similar to the marketing names used in the Cessna single engine airplane line, such as Skyhawk, Skylane and Skywagon. The United States Army designated the CH-1C as the YH-41 Seneca. While the CH-1 achieved several helicopter firsts and set a world record, it never became a commercial or military success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cierva W.11 Air Horse</span> Type of aircraft

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairey FB-1 Gyrodyne</span> Type of aircraft

The Fairey FB-1 Gyrodyne is an experimental British rotorcraft that used single lifting rotor and a tractor propeller mounted on the tip of the starboard stub wing to provide both propulsion and anti-torque reaction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyrodyne RON Rotorcycle</span> Experimental US Navy & Marine Corps helicopter

The Gyrodyne RON Rotorcycle was a tiny, single-seat helicopter designed under contract for the United States Navy. in the mid-1950s. It later was redesigned for a U.S. Marine Corps requirement for a small personal helicopter that would fulfill an array of roles, including observation, liaison, small unit tactical maneuvers, and which could be dropped to downed airmen behind enemy lines to facilitate their escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kellett XR-8</span> Type of aircraft

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kellett XR-10</span> Type of aircraft

The Kellett XR-10 was a military transport helicopter developed in the United States in the 1940s that only flew in prototype form. It was designed in response to a USAAF Technical Instruction issued for the development of a helicopter to transport passengers, cargo, or wounded personnel within an enclosed fuselage. Kellett's proposal followed the general layout that the company was developing in the XR-8, with twin intermeshing rotors, and was accepted by the Air Force on 16 October over proposals by Sikorsky, Bell, and Platt-LePage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter</span> Type of aircraft

The Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter was a small British military helicopter intended to be used for reconnaissance and casualty evacuation, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saro P.531</span> Utility helicopter

The Saro P.531 is a British all-metal five-seat helicopter designed and built by Saunders-Roe Limited (Saro). The P.531 was a larger development of the two-seat Saro Skeeter to use turbine power and formed the basis of the military Westland Scout and Westland Wasp helicopters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiller XH-44</span> American experimental helicopter

The Hiller XH-44 Hiller-Copter is an American experimental helicopter designed by Stanley Hiller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagler-Rolz NR 54</span> Austrian experimental backpack helicopter

The Nagler-Rolz NR 54 is an Austrian experimental foldable backpack helicopter developed during World War II. An enlarged variant, the NR 55, was also built.

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 NASM: Hiller YROE-1 Rotorcycle
  2. 1 2 Hiller Museum: Rotocycle Archived 2009-08-14 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 Apostolo, p. 68
  4. 1 2 Helicópteros:The Site
  5. "Helicopters of the World: USA", Flight: 693, 15 May 1959
  6. "Rotorcycle on View Here", The Washington Post and Times-Herald, Washington, D.C., Tuesday 1 April 1958, Volume 81, Number 117, page A8.
  7. "From All Quarters" (PDF), Flight: 610, 11 May 1961
  8. "VTOL International Survey", Flight: 638, 11 May 1961
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Hiller YROE-1 Rotorcycle". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  10. Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1958). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59. London: Jane's All the World's Aircraft Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 315.
  11. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  12. AirportData: N4230U
  13. AirportData: N777MV
  14. "SkyControl: YROE-1". Archived from the original on 2009-10-28. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  15. "Hiller XROE-1". Archived from the original on 2008-11-14. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
Bibliography