U.S. Army Helicopter Competition.

[nugo]

"Nine companies have submitted tenders for a high-performance four-seater utility helicopter for the U.S. Army. The machine foreseen would rank between the present three-seater types and the 8/10-passenger Sikorsky H-19(which also carries a crew of two)."

sourse: Flight, 14 January 1955, page 44.

Bell XH-40 competition or ?

 

[frank]

I think the XH-40 (UH-1) was a replacement for the H-19. This sounds like what brought about the Bell 47J / H-13J & later the H-58 line.

"Nine companies have submitted tenders for a high-performance four-seater utility helicopter for the U.S. Army. The machine foreseen would rank between the present three-seater types and the 8/10-passenger Sikorsky H-19(which also carries a crew of two)."

sourse: Flight, 14 January 1955, page 44.

Bell XH-40 competition or ?

 

[Antonio]

Model 47 first flown on December 1945. I think it doesn't match that mistery competition from January 1955.

Model 47J Ranger was proposed in 1956 as 4 seat utility version of Model 47G but I haven't found details about an US Army competition related to it.

Modelm 204 (XH-40). US Army awarded a contract on February 1955 ( June 1955 according to other sources) for a new utility helicopter with MEDEVAC as primary role. No references to competing designs from other manufacturers.

 

[Apophenia]

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=575.0

According to Pioneer, some 40 designs were submitted for the competition that led to the XH-40.

I am aware of Sikorsky's YH-39 which flew the year before the XH-40. The YH-39/S-59s were two S-52/H-18s converted to Artouste II turbines and given retractable landing gears.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3165.0.html

Does anyone know the designations of any of the other 38-odd submissions?

 

[Boxman]

Here is British Pathe newsreel footage (albeit silent) of the Sikorsky XH-39 (Sikorsky S-59) (US Army Ser. No. 49-2890, "92890") taking off and in flight. This includes pretty neat footage of the helicopter's gear retraction sequence, as well. Given the information provided in the caption (see below), this is footage from August 26, 1954, when the XH-39 set a world helicopter speed record of 156.005 mph at Bradley Field (now Bradley International Airport) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Here is a link to more on the aircraft (which is still extant), posted at the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives:
https://www.sikorskyarchives.com/S-59.php

YouTube - British Pathé: "Record Speed Helicopter (1950-1959)"
Caption - "US Army's experimental three passenger utility helicopter, its windmill is jet powered. A new feature for helicopters is the retractable landing gear, which cuts down air drag in flight. Sensitive instruments record the speed, 156 miles an hour. "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Pd7bYLQ-I