Chrysler VZ-6

[Jos Heyman]

Does anybody know the width of this flying jeep proposal? The length of 5.38 m has been extensively published.
Also what type of Lycoming engine did it have and what was the anticipated maximum speed. When was the first untethered flight?

 

[walter]

Hi Jos,
Maybe this will help. It is info I "collected" over the years.
Single-seat experimental VTOL with one 360hp Lycoming GSO-480 piston engine.
Rotor diameter 8.53ft, length 21.5ft (?), width 10ft and height 4.494ft
sorry no (expected) performance figures
The VZ-6H was developed by the Chrysler Corporation's Defence Engineering Division to meet a TECOM (US Army Transport & Engineering Command) specification which also led to the Piasecki VZ-8 and Curtiss Wright VZ.7. The GSO-480 engine was centrally mounted in the fuselage and drove two large fans with shutters in the forward and rear fuselage. Two examples built and initial testing commenced early-1959. One VZ-6 lost during trials. Programme halted in 1960.
Regards, Walter van Tilborg

 

[Jemiba]

Some infos from vertiflite, spring issue 2005, I only mentiones data, which differ (slightly !)
from those posted by walter:
Height 5,2 ft and fan diameter 8,5 ft, gross weight approx. 2.400 lb. The fan diameter probably
quite closely matched the width of the whole machine. The question for the date of the "first
untethered flight" probably must be answered with "never", because onthe first attempt for
an untethered take-off, the first prototype rolled over before it leaved the ground and was
damaged beyond repair. Following this crash, which was said to be a result of a lack of horizontal
control, the program was terminated by the army. Seems, there were never flight tests with the
second prototype. Unfortunately, the date for the failed flight test isn't given ... :-\

 

[Jos Heyman]

Thank you gentlemen.

 

[Stargazer]

Pics of the VZ-6 are hard to find, but here is another one:

 

[Stargazer]

Unfortunately, the date for the failed flight test isn't given ... :-\

According to a 1962 item in the US Army Aviation Digest: "The project was terminated following a crash of the VZ-6 in 1959."

So at least we have the year...

 

[Jemiba]

What the Chrysler flying Jeep could have look like, if it had ever
reached operational use:
(from Aviation Week August 1957)

 

[toura]

The same than Stephan...!!

 

[Stingray]

From Aviation Week, January 26, 1959:

 

[hesham]

From Army aviation 1959/3,

looks like Chrysler design.