The Firth Helicopter was a British helicopter of the early 1950s. Designed to exploit new outrigger rotor technology, the helicopter was abandoned during construction.
Design and development
Based on the designs of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
engineer Fred Landgraf who established the Landgraf Helicopter Corporation in the early years of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, The Firth Helicopter was more of a "proof-of-concept" aircraft than a true prototype. Firth Helicopters Ltd. had obtained rights to the Landgraf patents regarding a concept which involved twin outrigger pylons carrying three-bladed rotors fitted with ailerons to change direction.
The design team of Heenan, Winn and Steele, led by Major J.N. Dundas Heenan who had been previously involved in a similarly unorthodox 1948 aircraft project, the
Planet Satellite
The Planet Satellite was a British light aircraft of the late 1940s. Designed to exploit new technology, the aircraft was abandoned after two crashes although the innovative fuselage was later incorporated into a helicopter prototype.
Design an ...
, utilized the fuselage of the second Satellite prototype, registered ''G-ALXP'' in 1951. The small, streamlined Satellite monocoque fuselage consisted of panels of an extremely light magnesium-zirconium alloy. The original contours tapered to a butterfly tail that was eliminated and replaced by a single fin to be topped by a tailplane in a "T tail" design; surprisingly, the Satellite fuselage was integrated seamlessly into the new helicopter planform.
[Middleton 1983, p. 531.]
The Satellite's four-seat configuration allowed for a larger helicopter than the
Landgraf H-2
The Landgraf H-2 was an American single-seat twin-rotor helicopter designed by Fred Landgraf and built by the Landgraf Helicopter Company of Los Angeles, California. Although awarded a development contract by the United States Army, it was not de ...
/H-3 series (the H-4 would have been a 5/8 passenger helicopter) which had been the basis of the first Landgraf concept helicopters. The twin non-articulated type rotors were powered by two 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Majors.
Testing and evaluation
In 1952, Firth Helicopters began the construction of the FH-01/4 (still registered as ''G-ALXP'') at their Thame, UK facilities. Although the majority of the work had been completed, technical problems with excessive weight on the anterior part of the rotors seemed to be unsurmountable given the limited financial resources of the company. Gradually work ground to a halt without final equipment being installed and no hope for a first flight. The Firth FH-01/4 was presented to the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield in 1955.
Specifications (Firth Helicopter)
''Heavenly Body''
[Middleton 1983, p. 530.]
* Length: 26 ft 3 in
* Height: 9 ft 3 in
See also
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
* Gunston, Bill. ''Back to the Drawing Board: Aircraft That Flew But Never Took Off''. London: Zenith Imprint, 1996. .
* Middleton, Don. "Heavenly Body". ''Aeroplane Monthly'' Vol. 11, No. 10, Issue: no, 128, October 1983.
{{refend
External links
Secret projects UK
1950s British experimental aircraft
1950s British helicopters
Transverse rotor helicopters
Twin-engined piston helicopters
T-tail aircraft