McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry

XH-20 Little Henry
General information
Type	Experimental ramjet-rotor powered helicopter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	McDonnell Aircraft
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	2
History
First flight	29 August 1947

The McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry is a 1940s American experimental lightweight helicopter designed and built by McDonnell Aircraft. ^[1]

Development

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.

Variants

Data from: U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909 ^[2]

Model 38 XH-20 Little Henry

experimental lightweight helicopter, two built.

Model 79 XH-29 Big Henry

proposed two-seat ramjet-powered development, canceled. ^[3]

Operator

  United States

• United States Air Force

Aircraft on display

XH-20 at the NMUSAF

• 46-689 the first XH-20 is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

Specifications

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
• Height: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
• Empty weight: 290 lb (132 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × McDonnell Ramjets
• Main rotor diameter: 20 ft (6.1 m)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter
• Hiller YH-32 Hornet
• Sud-Ouest Djinn

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of single seat helicopters

References

Media related to McDonnell XH-20 at Wikimedia Commons

1. "XH-20 Little Henry Research Helicopter". Boeing. Archived from the original on 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
2. Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. pp. 119–121. ISBN   0-904597-22-9.
3. "McDonnell Model Numbers" (PDF). McDonnell Douglas. July 1, 1974. Retrieved September 3, 2023.