Sikorsky S-65 projects

If I remember Bell and Boeing both jointly and independently spent considerable time trying to come up with commercially viable tilt rotor aircraft. The greatest challenge was no doubt making a rotorcraft competitive on the cost per seat mile metric. NASA continues to explore means to use tilt rotor technology to overcome the ever increasing congestion at the main air hubs. There are two challenges, first is the complexity = expensive paradigm and the second is customer acceptance “It has propellers?”
[font=]The AW-609 has seen some renewed interest (at least as of the last HAI show) as the deep water oil industry will continue to need longer range rotorcraft. [/font]The current collapse of the oil market has slowed that in the short term, but as the desire for petrochemicals continues to increase, that market will come around. I don’t think it is going to change the world, but do think it will be viable.
[font=]The point about time lost not being what it was is well made. Until the total travel cost for shuttle flight becomes less than it is today (i.e. train/taxi-airplane-taxi/train) I suspect the VTOL inter-city idea is not viable. Unless of course you use the Vancover Heliocopter model which adds diversity (work-ski slope-work).[/font]
 
Good Day All -

A recent donation to the Museum included the following brochure on the S-65 Compound.

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 

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...and the S-65...

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 

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Skyblazer said:
Sikorsky Aircraft's proposed S-65 compound helicopter could carry 86 passengers at cruising speeds of 265 miles an hour on short haul inter-city routes. Direct operating costs would "be 2.5 cents per available seat mile.

Source: Sikorsky promotional photo, released January 8, 1969

This reminds me of the Fairey Rotodyne,

cheers
 
Also from;

Flugzeuge. 1000 Maschinen aus aller Welt mit sämtlichen technischen Daten. Vom ersten Fluggerät bis zum Überschalljet
 

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We may have answered this elsewhere, if so point me in to the right spot, but I have to wonder why if you have two thrust producing sources in line with the CG, why would you still need a tail rotor? Surely you ought be able to produce enough differential thrust to overcome the yaw.
 
yasotay said:
why would you still need a tail rotor?
During vertical flight (landing, take off) the underwing engines wouldn't be providing any thrust - so no differential thrust either. Unless you change pitch on one propellor to have it push while the other one pulls? Are those turboprops on the wings, or jets?
 
Arjen said:
yasotay said:
why would you still need a tail rotor?
During vertical flight (landing, take off) the underwing engines wouldn't be providing any thrust - so no differential thrust either. Unless you change pitch on one propeller to have it push while the other one pulls? Are those turboprops on the wings, or jets?

They are turbo-props. The picture shows plenty of ground clearance so I believe they could be turning. Seems that the Airbus X3 demonstrated satisfactorily the use of center line thrust to overcome torque. Yes I know that was forty years plus after the S-65 concept, but surely the reduced complexity and weight to put the tail rotor back there was not lost on the design team during development?

You could be correct that it was necessary because the props had to be stopped for some regulatory reasons prior to touchdown. Alternately it could be that the military version dictated that the props be off on landing due to not wanting troops running around whirling propellers.
 
Artist's impression of Sikorsky S-65-200 found on eBay.

Source:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-set-of-Sikorsky-Futuristic-Helicopter-prints-Extremely-rare-/122662889179?hash=item1c8f4726db:g:FMAAAOSwGNdZnEUN
 

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Sikorsky S-65 compound helicopter AWST.
 

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Source:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SIKORSKY-S-65-HELICOPTER-CONCEPT-DRAWING-PHOTO/263503431494?hash=item3d5a074746:g:FCIAAOSwX7BaiK68
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SIKORSKY-S-65-200-HELICOPTER-CONCEPT-DRAWING-PHOTO/263501651453?hash=item3d59ec1dfd:g:qLUAAOSw-YFah16r
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SIKORSKY-CONCEPT-HELICOPTER-PHOTO-OF-DRAWING/263501594683?hash=item3d59eb403b:g:9oMAAOSwbWZah1Qz
 

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Did some editing to picture and caption which included Skycrane and S61.
 

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New S-65 material from a program summary booklet. I'll replace with higher-res scans shortly.
 

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Thanks for posting that, I've always liked that design.
 
The Vancouver helicopter model still remains viable in 2020. Helijet’s S76 Helicopters pick up passengers from various airports and deliver passengers to the inner harbours of Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Seattle, etc. With Harbour Air providing competing service with (Cessna and DHC) float planes.
Helo service is also popular in crowded Brazilian cities with high rates of street crime and kidnappings.
Also consider that politicians, CEOs, pro athletes and music stars prefer to reduce risk by flying over crowds of adoring fans.
 
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From this report.
 

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From, Civil_Aeronautics_Board_Reports 1970.
 

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