Loening Jet-Propelled Helicopter Project

[hesham]

Hi,

the first time in my life to know that,Loening designed a jet-propelled helicopter project.

http://archive.aviationweek.com/image/spread/19441023/6/2

 

[Jos Heyman]

I doubt if this was much more than an idea and a conceptional design to stimulate companies to go into that direction. According to the caption Loening must have been working for NACA at the time and NACA was not in the business of building aircraft but rather the research.
As a company the manufacturing company named after Loening, had ceased to exist a long time ago.

 

[hesham]

My dear Jos,

the Leoning company still designed aircraft until 1954;

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,918.0.html

 

[Silencer1]

Typo in the surname - Loening!

 

[Dynoman]

Loening was chair of the NACA Subcommittee on Helicopters (1938-1946). Loening promoted helicopter development during WWII, giving engines and production materials to pioneering helicopter manufacturers, such as Sikorsky, Hiller, and Platt-LePage. He also acted as consultant to some of these companies (e.g. in 1941 assisted Platt-LePage on the XR-1). Loening, AFAIK, didn't design a helicopter, but supported manufacturers in their effort to design and innovate helicopter technologies (e.g. the engine that Hiller used in the XH-44 coaxial rotor helicopter) through his affiliation with the NACA. He wrote a number of articles on the future of helicopters in the 1940's and proclaimed that the 'popular' helicopter was 5-10 years away (circa 1946).

 

[Jos Heyman]

Loening, as an aircraft producing company, operated from 1917 to 1933 (according to Wikipedia) or to 1938 (Aerofiles). Grover Loening, as an individual, remained as, for instance, Chief Consultant of the War Production Board, NACA and Grumman. (all from Wikipedia). And as we have seen Grover did some conceptual (?) designs, but this does not infer that it was an aircraft producing company. There is, of course, the remote possibility that the company continued beyond 1933 or 1938 as a 'paper company'.

 

[ZacYates]

This reminds me of the Hughes hot cycle concept, albeit in a much smaller package. Certainly an attractive design!