| XH-20 Little Henry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Experimental ramjet-rotor powered helicopter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Aircraft |
| First flight | 29 August 1947 |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 2 |
The McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry is a 1940s American experimental lightweight helicopter designed and built by McDonnell Aircraft. [1]
The McDonnell Model 38 was a lightweight experimental helicopter sponsored by the United States Army Air Force to test the concept of using small ramjets at the tips of the rotor blades. [1] As a functional helicopter it was a simple open-frame steel-tube construction. [1] Allotted the military designation XH-20 the first of two first flew on the 29 August 1947. [1]
Although the XH-20 flew successfully the ramjets were noisy and burnt a large amount of fuel and plans to build a larger two-seat XH-29 were abandoned.
Data from: U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909 [2]
United States 
Data from [1]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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Media related to McDonnell XH-20 at Wikimedia Commons