TWICE THE SPEED
Sikorsky close to flying X2 demonstrator

SIKORSKY has started testing a new breed of helicopter which uses two sets of rotor blades and a pusher propeller.

The technology has been dubbed X2 and is expected to help helicopters fly twice as fast. By using two sets of contra-rotating blades (called a coaxial design) and a pusher propeller, Sikorsky believes it can reach 250kt.

Ground tests on an X2 prototype using a LHTEC T800 engine and drivetrain components began last November. The program has rapidly advanced and Sikorsky, with the help of Schweizer, is close to getting a helicopter with the X2 technology in the air.

When the program was announced two years ago, Sikorsky President Stephen Finger said, "Customers are demanding greater speed but without sacrificing any of the unique capabilities that make helicopters the ideal platform for countless civil and military missions."
W: www.sikorsky.com

WORDS: Dan Tye