USAF CARA Competition and its Projects

[hesham]

Hi,


in the Flying Review magazine of July 1967,USAF announced for a contest to CARA
(Combat Aircrew Rescue Aircraft),and invited 16 companies for it,Sikorsky and North
American submitted a compound helicopter with stowable rotor system,the tenders
were;


1- Sikorsky-NAA Type ?
2- McDonnell M-209
3- Vought V.501
4- Ryan M-230
5- Bell D-2392 (maybe,not sure)
6- Bell D-300 (another proposal ?)


I hope to get the all contenders and a drawings to them,Specially Vought V.501.

 

[Jos Heyman]

This is an interesting one. But what references sources makes you suggest the four other tenders you mentioned.

 

[hesham]

My dear Jos,


for Vought and McDonnell,I took them from their lists,and for Bell;
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,21303.msg78969.html#msg78969


and for Ryan;
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1680.msg64857.html#msg64857

 

[Jos Heyman]

Thanks for explaining that.

 

[Jos Heyman]

In 'United States Military Aircraft since 1909', by Swanborough and Bowers, p. 561 it states that the CARA needs were met by the Sikorsky HH-53B and this "made development of the CARA unnecessary as it appeared unlikely that a new design could improve substantially on the H-53s performance. Procurement of eight HH-53Bs was therefore put in hand as a major priority in 1966."

So now at least we know the end . This quote also means that the CARA project probably started in 1966 or may be even in 1965 and not in 1967 as may be implied by the Flying Review article.

 

[Bill S]

I hope to get the all contenders and a drawings to them,Specially Vought V.501.

Have you looked here: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,9009.msg80990.html


Drawings and a photo of the HC-142 model are there.

 

[Bill S]

Sorry I reread your request. Those were for the V-503, the V-501 was a twin engined tilt rotor, will keep looking.

 

[hesham]

Than you Bill,


and maybe it was displayed in Vought archive.

 

[hesham]

Again,the Sikorsky-North American CARA;


http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/S-57%20CONVERTIPLANE.php

 

[hesham]

from Icare 1967,

that's new concept for me.

 

[hesham]

Can I ask,

why this subject wasn't discuss in the book ASP.3 ?,the rescue
mission (as I thing) was from Airlifter concept ?.

 

[hesham]

1- Sikorsky-NAA Type ?
2- McDonnell M-209
3- Vought V.501
4- Ryan M-230
5- Bell D-2392 (maybe,not sure)
6- Bell D-300 (anther proposal ?)

I think the Bell D-2245 was also in.

 

[hesham]

From this report.

 

[Kiltonge]

Not all applicable to CARA, but this chart of stop-rotor designs accompanied an AvWeek article on the subject. 24 June 1968.