Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation introduced the prototype for a new helicopter last week designed to travel faster than choppers before it.
The final version of the new aircraft, called the S-97 Raider, will achieve speeds of up to 270 miles per hour (mph), which is faster than the Lynx, which holds the title of fastest helicopter with a top speed of 248 mph, according to The Blaze. The Eurocopter X3 will have to wait years to achieve the production for its design, which will allow it to travel at 293 mph.
The goal for Sikorsky is to make its aircraft faster without changing the basic features of a regular copter, with one of the differences between the S-97 Raider and traditional copters being its two rotor blades on top, which rotate in opposite directions to make sure the aircraft doesn't spin out of control. A propeller is also included on the back of the chopper so it can fly faster.
The aircraft maker said fly-by-wire flight controls and active vibration control were added to this design so the S-97 Raider would have less hub drag, a low acoustic signature and an improved high/hot hover performance, Gizmag reported. The company added that the copter has a cruise speed of 253 mph, which is twice as fast as regular choppers.
The chopper is 35 feet long and has a rotor diameter of 34 feet, along with a single General Electric YT706 engine that puts out 2,600 bhp. Other features include a range of 308 nmi, a flight endurance of 2 hours and 40 minutes, and a service ceiling of 10,000 ft.
Sikorsky looks to have the S-97 Raider used for a variety of military purposes, such as armed reconnaissance, light attack, light assault, search and rescue, and casualty evacuation, Gizmag reported. The chopper's abilities would allow it to replace other military copters like the U.S. Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and the Special Forces' MH-6 Little Bird.
The chopper can carry a crew of two people sitting side-by-side, as well as six troops or extra munitions and fuels. It can carry a 50 caliber or 7.62 mm machine gun with 500 rounds, a 7-shot rocket pod with 2.75 in rockets, Hellfire missiles, and other armaments. The final version may also be able to fly autonomously.
Sikorsky will spend the coming months holding initial flight tests for the S-97 Raider, Gizmag reported. Mick Maurer, President, Sikorsky, said the aircraft has abilities that have never been seen before in the helicopter industry
"Just four years ago, we announced plans to build the S-97 Raider and teamed with some of the best companies in the industry, understanding the need to ensure aircraft development would not falter as government defense budgets shrank in response to economic pressures," Maurer said. "Sikorsky is proud of its leadership in this area, and of the leadership the S-97 Raider represents among the world's military rotorcraft."
