LCA LH 212 Delta

LH 212 Delta
Role	Helicopter
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	LCA Srl
First flight	by 2010
Number built	11 by September 2012
Unit cost	€165,000 (flyaway, 2012)

Last updated October 27, 2020

The LCA LH 212 Delta is a two-seat Italian piston engine ultralight helicopter first flown in 2010.

Design and development

Though strong similarities between the Delta and another Italian helicopter, the 1989 DF Helicopters DF334, have been noted, it is not clear if there are direct relationships between either the machines or their makers. The Delta made its first flight after eight years of development.^[1]

The Delta has a standard pod and boom layout, the latter high set, slender and braced with a narrow angle V-form strut pair to its halfway point from bottom of the pod. It has a short span tailplane with small endplate fins raised above the boom on a swept, high aspect ratio fin, forming a T-tail. The tail rotor, mounted on the starboard side of the boom, has its two blades protected from ground strikes by a long, curved tubular bumper.^[1]

The pod seats two side-by-side behind a full clear forward transparency. Its skin is carbon fibre over a titanium alloy tube frame. Tandem controls are fitted, with two sets of anti-torque pedals and a T-shaped cyclic control centrally mounted on a console; the single collective pitch lever is placed between the seats.^[1] A governor sets the throttle in the absence of pilot input and trim is applied electrically. Small baggage can be stored in under seat lockers.^[2] Cabin access is through forward hinged doors in each side.^[1] A 84.5 kW (113 hp) Rotax 914 turbocharged, liquid cooled, flat four piston engine with narrow rectangular cheek radiators is mounted behind the seats and partly exposed at the rear, driving a two blade main rotor.^[1]^[2] The helicopter lands on skids, transversely braced by a pair of airfoil section struts and positioned below the pod on two pairs of similar outward leaning struts, producing a skid track of 1.585 m (5 ft 2 in).^[1]

Operational history

The first flight was in 2010 and marketing began in September 2011 at the Blois international ultra light show. A year later eleven flyaway examples had been built. A kit build version is planned.^[1]

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2013–14^[1]

General characteristics

Capacity: Two
Length: 6.185 m (20 ft 4 in) tail rotor turning
Height: 2.34 m (7 ft 8 in) to fin tip
Empty weight: 280 kg (617 lb)
Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
Fuel capacity: 47 kg (104 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 914 turbocharged liquid cooled flat four, 84.5 kW (113.3 hp)
Main rotor diameter: 6.68 m (21 ft 11 in)
Main rotor area: 35.05 m² (377.3 sq ft) twin blade

Performance

Cruise speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn)
Never exceed speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
Range: 450 km (280 mi, 240 nmi)
Endurance: 3 hr
Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,000 ft) service; hover in ground effect, 3,500 m (11,483 ft); hover out of ground effect 2,500 m (8,202 ft)
Rate of climb: 7.5 m/s (1,480 ft/min) maximum, at sea level

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jackson, Paul A. (2013). Jane's All the World's Aircraft: development & production : 2013–14. IHS Global. p. 432. ISBN 978-0-7106-3040-7.
1 2 "LH 212 Delta" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2013.

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[JAWA13-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jackson, Paul A. (2013). Jane's All the World's Aircraft: development & production : 2013–14. IHS Global. p. 432. ISBN 978-0-7106-3040-7.

[LCA-2] 1 2 "LH 212 Delta" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2013.