X-49A Piasecki Vectored Thrust Ducted Propellor Compound Helicopter (UH-60 mod)

[carolm]

You see it here first. Ready to fly any day now.

[Jemiba]

.. and another photo from Vertiflite, issue from summer 2006. 
First flight was announced for "early in 2007" . If "early" means
at least in the first half, there are around two months time ... 

[CammNut]

This programme survives on funding "earmarked" - added to the Pentagon's budget - by Congress every year. If I remember correctly, it started out with a plan to use an AH-64 as a testbed, then an AH-1W, then the US Navy YSH-60F prototype now being used (the idea being it needed the thruster to pull a mine-countermeasures sled through the water), then the programme was transferred to the US Army (with the idea of making Black Hawks go faster so they are less vulnerable). Even if it flies, don't hold your breath waiting for it to go into production.

Piasecki also had some interesting ideas on rotorcraft unmanned air vehicles for the US Army's Future Combat Systems, including a modern version of its AirGeep, but they were cancelled last year.

[Iranian F-14A]

Interesting waste of a H-60.I personally don't hold much for this concept,and I normally love every model of the Blackhawk/Seahawk.

[Jemiba]

"Piasecki also had some interesting ideas on rotorcraft unmanned air vehicles for
the US Army's Future Combat Systems, including a modern version of its AirGeep,
but they were cancelled last year."

Yes, the UCAR program was cancelled (UCAR = US Cancelled Another Rotorcraft ),
but I think, reasons weren't mostly in the field of aerodynamics,
or structures, but in the demands for more autonomy of the UAV in comparison with,
say the Predator.   

[CammNut]

UCAR was not part of the Future Combat Systems programme - which started out with four classes of UAV from a Honeywell ducted fan small enough to carry in a backpack (Class I) up to the Northrop Grumman Fire Scout (Class IV) - but I agree the army has cancelled a lot of rotorcraft programmes.

UCAR was a DARPA programme for a unmanned rotorcraft that could work in "packs" with manned helicopters, and was going quite well (in the laboratory) until the US Army said it wasn't going to fund it any more.

Piasecki's FCS UAV designs were aimed at the vehicle-carried Class II (the AirGeep derivative) and containerised Class III (a modified autogyro) requirements.

Here are some view of Lockheed Martin's UCAR

[yasotay]

Currently there are only two classes of UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) still on record for the FCS effort.  The Class I and IV remain.  CLI remains a ducted fan effort and the CL IV is the NG Firescout effort.

Cam is correct that the UCAR program was doing well in the Laboratory and the industry teams were moving well also.  Indeed DARPA was preparing to down select to a single program when the Army decided it would not fund the program.

As to the X-49, the concept showed promise in simulation, with significant capability over the UH-60L and meeting many of the Army future requirements that the current UH-60 is only able to do with significant external support (FARPs).  There are issues with the mechanical soundness of the planned high mounted wing and the proposed engine arrangement for the final version of the aircraft.  The one seen in the pictures are a low wing initial effort by Piasecki.

[CammNut]

And here are some images of Northrop Grumman's UCAR, which used the intermeshing-rotor dynamic system from the Kaman K-Max external lifter.

[CammNut]

Here's the latest picture from Piasecki. The completed X-49 "SpeedHawk" experimental compound helicopter has been moved to Boeing's flight test centre near Philadelphia and is being prepared for a first flight in June.

Funding permitting, Piasecki plans to fly the X-49 first within the existing SH-60 flight envelope (the aircraft is converted from a YSH-60 prototype) then bring it back to install the third engine and do a drag clean-up, including fitting retractable gear and a rotor-hub fairing, before trying for the target 200kt forward speed.

Funding permittting...

[Sundog]

That is such a cool looking Helo, I can't wait to see it fly.

[Jos Heyman]

Do you know its US Navy serial number?

[yasotay]

CammNut!!  Thanks for the great picture.  Now to see if I can get to Philly for the first flight!  Do you know the date?

[Jos Heyman]

As a reply to my own request for information: I believed the serial is 163283.

[Sentinel Chicken]

Does the whole tail assembly pivot to one side to counter rotor torque when in a hover? There appears to a break point on the tail boom where on a Seahawk the tail folds.

[turboshaft]

The break is to allow the thruster section to be folded to reduce the vehicle's footprint. The vectoring is achieved by means of rudder and elevator sections within the VTDP.

The X-49A is strictly a tech demo; the use of a small turboshaft to power the VTDP section is not practical for a production vehicle, and was only driven by concerns over available installed power.