Sikorsky DS-103 missile carrier flying crane

[flateric]

Do someone has more on this monster?

 

[Skybolt]

Could be related to this? http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=565.msg4296#msg4296

Actually, the missile looks like an early version of the Minuteman or am I mistaken?

 

[boxkite]

Wow! A Sikorsky helicopter with a designation outside the S-xx series. Nice finding, flateric.

 

[flateric]

It comes from book about Bratukhin, DS-103 designation is strange to me as well. Note the large circular blimp in the rotor structure - obvious departure from what we see at http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=565.msg4296#msg4296, while many other components of design are very common...ugh

 

[Skybolt]

The question is, which comes first? The Sikorsky skycrane competing with Boeing for the HLH contract in early 1970's could be a scaled down version of the missile carrying project. I think that the key is identifying the missile: I just put out a suggestion, could it be the MMRBM? If so, the DS-103 is from 1962-1964. And, BTW, has anyone a picture of the MMRBM?

 

[Skybolt]

Additional hint: I remember reading in an old AW&ST issue (early 60's), that Goodyear had a project for a dirigible to carry and put in place MMRBMs. Next week I'll try and find that issue in the library. The Sikorsky project could be a different approach to the same task.

 

[flateric]

Said that DS-103 was studied in the same timeframe along with S-63 (i.e. end of 50's - beginning of 60's), both projects were presented at 23th American Helicopter Society meeting (1967). The main rotor dia was about 60 m. That's damn all that's said.

OK, I will call it ....bzzz...'Homersky'!

 

[Skybolt]

Sometime old topics come back with a vengeance. Found data of the DS-103 in a most unusual place: the famous "Handbook of Astronautical Engineering" by Heinz Hermann Koelle, ed. McGraw-Hill, 1961. Describing the terrestial vehicles usable in support of space actvities, it illustrates the DS-103 as a giant crane chopper. The 3view is similar to that published, only better definition, and showing what seems a Thor missile as payload, I'll post) What's more, it gives data:
Lenght: 158 ft
Height: 34 ft
Width (at the tyres): 40 ft
Main Rotor; 160 ft.
Tail rotors: 30 ft
Payload space clearing: 14 ft
Radius of action: 100 n.m. at max. payload
Cruise speed: 100 knots
Ceiling hovering: 6000 ft at 95 F degrees
Gross: 251.000 lbs
Empty: 145.000 lbs
Fuel: 25.000 lbs
Payload: 80.000 lbs
Engine: 4 J-52s

So this projects is from 1960 at the latest, and this confirms that it was intended for mobile missile transport (MMRBM and related NATO efforts). BTW, in the preceding pages of he mentioned manual it is described the special version of its semirigid airship Goodyear proposed for the same role. I'll post separately that too. So another couple of loose ends come home...

 

[sferrin]

Additional hint: I remember reading in an old AW&ST issue (early 60's), that Goodyear had a project for a dirigible to carry and put in place MMRBMs. Next week I'll try and find that issue in the library. The Sikorsky project could be a different approach to the same task.

MMRBM is a missile I've never had much luck finding anything on.

 

[Orionblamblam]

I could've swore that I'd put this monster on my blog, but it seems I didn't. Well, anyway...

 

[Skybolt]

Thanks Scott, you spared me the scanning..

Sferrin: I have something, not much, a lot of blahblahs, but a couple of artistic impression of the general concept and a list of contactors involved. I'll post in a separate topic (scanning, scanning all the time...). And, BTW, the DS-103 was probbaly originaly developed for more than one type of missile. I think of the SICBM as the original driving force (80.000 lbs payload).

 

[sferrin]

Thanks Scott, you spared me the scanning..

Sferrin: I have something, not much, a lot of blahblahs, but a couple of artistic impression of the general concept and a list of contactors involved. I'll post in a separate topic (scanning, scanning all the time...). And, BTW, the DS-103 was probbaly originaly developed for more than one type of missile. I think of the SICBM as the original driving force (80.000 lbs payload).

Thanks

 

[Rickshaw]

What was the function of the disk at the rotor hub?

 

[Skybolt]

In the drawing in the Koelle's book it is captioned as "turbocharger". Any idea shall be welcome.

 

[Howedar]

I strongly suspect it has to do with the use of an eleven-bladed ( ! ) main rotor. I don't think anybody's ever gone above eight blades in real hardware (Mi-26). The center portion of a rotor is never super useful, but with so much flow interaction in that region, there might have been an awful lot of drag. The shroud would be one avenue to reduce this, and it would also allow a more heavily-built root section of each blade.

 

[hesham]

Said that DS-103 was studied in the same timeframe along with S-63 (i.e. end of 50's - beginning of 60's), both projects were presented at 23th American Helicopter Society meeting (1967). The main rotor dia was about 60 m. That's damn all that's said.

OK, I will call it ....bzzz...'Homersky'!

And from the book; Сикорский_Политехника 2003