Sikorsky S-72

S-72 RSRA
The S-72 in flight without a main rotor in 1984
Role	Experimental helicopter
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
First flight	12 October 1976
Number built	2

The Sikorsky S-72 was an experimental hybrid helicopter/fixed-wing aircraft developed by helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft.

Design and development

RSRA

The Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) was developed by Sikorsky for NASA and the Army. The RSRA was developed to allow the in-flight measurement of helicopter rotor characteristics. The airframe was developed using an existing Sikorsky S-61 main rotor, an S-61 roller gearbox, and a highly modified Sikorsky S-67 airframe. The RSRA could be fitted with TF34 turbofans and wings to allow compound helicopter configurations to be experimentally investigated at speeds up to 300 knots (560 km/h). In addition, it could fly as a fixed-wing aircraft without a rotor.

Unique among helicopters of its time, it was fitted with a crew emergency extraction system. This system, when activated, fired explosive bolts that severed the main rotor blades, egress panels were blown off the roof of the aircraft and then the crew was extracted using rockets.

The RSRA was a unique pure research aircraft developed to fill the void between design analysis, wind tunnel testing, and flight results of rotor aircraft. The joint NASA/Army project began in December 1970, first flight on October 12, 1976 with the first of two aircraft arriving from Sikorsky to NASA on February 11, 1979.

One notable test performed with the RSRA was the use of the main and tail rotor load measurement system to determine the vertical drag of the airframe.

In 1981, NASA and the US Army solicited proposals for fitting a four-bladed main rotor to the RSRA. Sikorsky proposed fitting a UH-60A main rotor to the RSRA in their proposal , while Hughes Helicopters proposed fitting a YAH-64A main rotor and Boeing Vertol proposed fitting a YUH-61A or Model 347 (4-blade CH-47) main rotor . In the end, this program did not proceed.

The X-Wing

Sikorsky S-72 modified as the X-Wing testbed

Rotor Systems Research Aircraft / X-Wing aircraft during a 1987 high speed taxi test.

The Sikorsky X-Wing was developed between 1983 and 1988 by helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky with NASA and DARPA funding. Intended to take off vertically like a helicopter, the craft's rigid rotors could be stopped in mid-flight to act as X-shaped wings to provide additional lift during forward flight, as well as having more conventional wings.

Instead of controlling lift by twisting its blades as more conventional helicopters do, the craft used compressed air fed from the engines and expelled from its blades to generate a virtual wing surface, similar to blown flaps on a conventional platform. Computerized valves made sure the compressed air came from the correct edge of the rotor, the correct edge changing as the rotor rotated.^{[citation needed]}

Specifications (S-72)

Data from Aviastar.org

General characteristics

• Crew: 2-3
• Length: 70 ft 6.45 in (21.50 m)
• Wingspan: 62 ft (18.90 m)
• Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
• Empty weight: 21,693.5 lb (9,480 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 26,047 lb (11,815 kg)
• Powerplant:
  • 2 × General Electric TF34-GE-400A turbofans, lbf (4180 kN) each
  • 2 × General Electric T58-GE-5 turboshaft, shp (1,045 kW) each
• * Take-off weight without auxiliary jets: 8,300 kg
• Empty weight without auxiliary jets: 6,535 kg

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 knots (230 mph, 370 km/h
• Max speed without auxiliary jets: 296 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 140 knots (160 mph, 258 km/h
• Cruising speed without auxiliary jets: 258 km/h)
• Rate of climb: 600 394 ft/min ()

See also

Related development

• Sikorsky S-61
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Sikorsky S-69
• Boeing X-50
  

Related lists

• List of helicopters
  

External links

• X-Wing Research Vehicle on NASA.gov
• S-72 on helis.com
• Sikorsky S-72 RSRA on aviastar.org