After successful first flight, Sikorsky cautiously expands X2 flight envelope | Aviation International News

After successful first flight, Sikorsky cautiously expands X2 flight envelope

At a small airfield near Horseheads, N.Y., Sikorsky is slowly expanding the flight envelope of its X2 technology demonstrator.

By Andrew Healey

October 1, 2008

At a small airfield near Horseheads, N.Y., Sikorsky is slowly expanding the flight envelope of its X2 technology demonstrator. After a first flight at the end of August, the coaxial rotor helicopter is currently midway through the first of four flight-test phases that should enable it to reach a forward speed of 250 knots by the middle of next year.

Sikorsky chief test pilot Kevin Bredenbeck was at the controls for the 30-minute summer test flight at the Schweizer Aircraft rapid-prototyping facility. The former U.S. Army officer, a 14-year veteran with Sikorsky, put the single-seat aircraft through hover, low-speed forward flight and pedal-turn maneuvers at heights of up to 40 feet. The milestone capped more than four years of design, development and testing of a suite of technologies intended to push the conventional helicopter into performance areas currently occupied by fixed-wing and tilt-rotor aircraft.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

Become a Member

Nepal Relief Efforts Need More Support and Coordination

Local rotorcraft industry leader urges international partners to get involved in crisis

Nepal army helicopter

Boltoukhine Named Head of Airbus Corporate Helicopters

Frederic Lemos departs after serving as CEO of ACH since 2017

Nicolas Boltoukhine

Avincis Orders Five McDermott 214ST Utility Helicopters

Medium twin-engine rotorcraft will supplement European firefighting operations

Artist's impression of Avincis' McDermott 214ST helicopters

Helicopters Play Crucial Role in Himalayan Flood Rescues

Nepal’s army and private operators have deployed rotorcraft across the flood zone

Heli Everest H125 helicopter

U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military

Pentagon permission facilitates sale of Bell 412EXP and 407M

Bell 407M helicopter

Japan Orders Its First H160 for Emergency Response

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

Airbus H160 in flight over sea

Singaporean eVTOL Conducts Test Campaign In Germany

Flights with two scaled technology demonstrators will inform potential future iterations

White evtol mockup on stand at Singapore airshow

FAA Approves TSO for ASU Panoramic Night-vision Goggles

Lightweight white-phosphor NVG have a 94-degree field of view

Aviation Specialties Unlimited E3 PANO night vision goggles