Sikorsky X2 tops 250-knot goal | Aviation International News

Sikorsky X2 tops 250-knot goal

The Sikorsky X2 technology demonstrator last month unofficially set a new speed record for rotorcraft, as it reached 250 ktas at the company’s development

By Thierry Dubois • Writer

September 29, 2010

The Sikorsky X2 technology demonstrator last month unofficially set a new speed record for rotorcraft, as it reached 250 ktas at the company’s development flight center in West Palm Beach, Fla. The aircraft, which features contra-rotating coaxial main rotors and a pusher propeller, took off at 7 a.m. for its 17th flight, which lasted 1.1 hours. At the controls was chief test pilot Kevin Bredenbeck.

Achieving a speed of 250 knots has been the program’s main objective since its 2005 launch. The X2 reached the desired speed in level flight and 260 knots “in a very shallow dive,” said Sikorsky. From an aerodynamic standpoint, the aircraft performed “as predicted or even a bit better,” program officials told AIN.

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