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Sikorsky X2
Demonstrator Takes Final Flight Making Way For The S-97 Raider
Helicopter By Jim Douglas |
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July 15, 2011 - Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.’s X2 Technology
demonstrator has flown for the last time, the company
announced on Thursday. In an early morning demonstration
flight conducted from the company’s new Sikorsky
Innovations Center within its Development Flight Center,
the X2 Technology demonstrator gave invited guests one
last look at its technology in flight before officially
being retired and transitioning to its first
application, the S-97 Raider. It was the twenty-third test flight of the award-winning X2 aircraft, which flew approximately 22 total hours and achieved a maximum cruise speed of 253 knots in level flight at its peak point in the program. That milestone, an unofficial speed record for a conventional helicopter, was achieved on Sept. 15, 2010. |
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“This
flight is the culmination of a five-year, internally funded
program to expand the operational envelope of helicopters,” said
Sikorsky President Jeffrey Pino. “The results of this program
speak to the success of a rapid prototyping environment, where a
small empowered team was able to meet a specific number of very
challenging goals. We met these within a small budget and a
compressed schedule.
“The X2
program also has helped to develop the next generation of
Sikorsky engineers, including some who are now in key positions
on the S-97 Raider™ program and the Firefly electric helicopter
program. Today, the entire Sikorsky workforce stands proud of
this accomplishment and what it means for the future of
rotorcraft aviation,” Pino said.
The S-97
Raider helicopter program is the follow-on program to the X2
Technology demonstrator initiative. Sikorsky Vice President of
Research & Engineering Mark Miller said the S-97 Raider program
will design, build and fly two prototype light tactical
helicopters to enable the U.S. military to evaluate the
viability of a fast and maneuverable next-generation rotorcraft
for a variety of combat missions. A number of Sikorsky’s
military and commercial customers were on hand to observe
today’s final X2 flight. “This program will produce two prototype assault/attack aircraft with six passenger cabins and the ability to carry armament,” Miller said. “In addition to the superior speed and maneuverability of X2 technology, these aircraft are designed to be capable of 10,000-foot hover out of ground effect on a 95-degree day. The future awaits this technology, and today we can say that we see it on the horizon.” |