McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry

Last updated
XH-20 Little Henry
McDonnell XH-20 in flight.jpg
Role Experimental ramjet-rotor powered helicopter
National originUnited States
Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft
First flight29 August 1947
Primary user United States Air Force
Number built2

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

Contents

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

Flag of the United States.svg  United States

Aircraft on display

XH-20 at the NMUSAF McDonnell XH-20.jpg
XH-20 at the NMUSAF

Specifications

Data from [1]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

Commons-logo.svg Media related to McDonnell XH-20 at Wikimedia Commons

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "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.