From The Department of Redundancy Department

Haven't we done this once already? Did they not write all that stuff down when they did it the first time?



From Danger Room

The Speedhawk was funded by the Army to test the possibility of pushing existing helicopters to reach speeds up to 200 knots (360 kilometers per hour).

Anyone remember this? I mean besides me...

Specifications: Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne
Dimensions:
Length: 60.04ft (18.30m)
Width: 25.92ft (7.90m)
Height: 13.78ft (4.20m)
Performance:
Max Speed: 245mph (395kmh; 213kts)
Max Range: 629miles (1,013km)
Climb Rate: 3,420 ft/min (1,042 m/min)
Ceiling: 25,997ft (7,924m; 4.9miles)
Structure:
Accommodation: 2
Hardpoints: 4
Empty Weight: 11,718lbs (5,315kg)
MTOW: 16,995lbs (7,709kg)
Power:
Engine(s): 1 x General Electric T64-GE-16 turbine engine generating 3,435hp.

From Military Factory.com

The Cheyenne was built in 1967 so maybe the dog ate the homework or something. There was also a Lockheed experimental compound helicopter known as the XH-51.

From WIKI

Lockheed began developing its rigid rotor concept with the CL-475 helicopter design in 1959. The choice of a rigid rotor meant that the helicopter was more agile than it would have been with a flapping rotor. The performance of the CL-475 encouraged Lockheed to seek further development. Lockheed submitted the CL-475 to the Army as a candidate to replace the OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven helicopters. Lockheed also tested the commercial market waters without success. However, in February of 1962, Lockheed's Model 186, a new design based on the CL-475 rigid rotor, was selected as the winner for a joint Army-Navy program to evaluate the rigid rotor for high-speed flight capability.[1]

Two four-seat, three-bladed XH-51As were ordered and built for the program. Powered by the 550 shp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-9 turboshaft engine, XH-51A (serial number 61-51262) first flew on 2 November 1962. As flight testing progressed, the original three-bladed, rigid rotor system demonstrated instability at higher speed ranges. Lockheed engineers solved the problem by modifying the aircraft with a four-bladed rotor system. In 1963, the Army's Technology Research and Evaluation Command (TRECOM) contracted with Lockheed to modify one of the XH-51 aircraft into a compound helicopter.[2]

The second XH-51A (serial number 61-51263) was subsequently converted by adding wings with a span of 16.1 ft (4.9 m), and a 2,500 hp (1,864 kW) Pratt & Whitney J60-2 turbojet engine mounted on the left wing to increase performance. The XH-51A Compound first flew without powering up the turbojet on 21 September 1964,[2] while tests were conducted for balance and handling. The aircraft's first flight as a true compound helicopter took place on 10 April 1965.[3] and on 29 November 1967 achieved a speed of 263 knots (302.6 mph, 486.9 km/h).[4]

So I guess the real question would be what are we proving or are we re-inventing the wheel...again?

So Who's This Chuck Yeager Guy They Are Talking About?

Found this story via a link from Neptunus Lex

October 5, 2008
Press protected Chuck Yeager after fabled flight under city bridge
Nothing on the radio. Not a word in the newspaper. Not even a picture to prove it. But 60 years later, it remains one of the most fabled events in Charleston's history.
By Sandy Wells
Staff writer
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Nothing on the radio. Not a word in the newspaper. Not even a picture to prove it.

But 60 years later, it remains one of the most fabled events in Charleston's history.

"It was known only to those of us who saw it, and through word-of-mouth later on," said Neil Boggs, a Clay County native and retired NBC correspondent.


Nobody talked about it on the record for years, he said. "Tens of thousands of people saw it. They knew it was done by one of them, for one of them, and they joined in a conspiracy of silence."...

...The F-80 jet appeared out of nowhere.

Bill Kelley, 14, stood midway down the riverbank steps at Brooks Street. The eventual WSAZ photographer had a camera even then. He forgot to bring it.

"Frank Knight had just announced that Capt. Chuck Yeager was going to fly over," Kelley said. "I didn't see a plane in the sky. I looked east, below the horizon, about where the Capitol is, and I saw a plane.

"I actually had to look down to see it. That's how low it was. I thought, 'Oh, my goodness!'"

He watched that jet fly right under the South Side Bridge.

The jet did a victory roll and roared out of sight.

For the rest of the story please go to the Charleston Gazette website

Yeah baby! Today, if they caught you doing anything of that sort they would monkey stomp your ass...or at the very least rip your lips off.

I have a Chuck Yeager story of sorts. I was attending the Edwards AFB air show, not sure of the year, but Chuck Yeager took the podium after opening the show by "breaking the sound barrier" by flying over the field in the back seat of an F-15 at Mach 1 plus. I don't remember much about what he said other than the profane reminder to the assembled crowd not to drink and god damned drive. I guess when you're a living legend like that you can pretty much get away with anything short of child rape or murder.

"Mommy that man said a bad word."

"Don't worry honey, he's just a crazy old fighter pilot."

"Mommy isn't that a redundant statement?"

(Yeah I know, in my world little kids know words like redundant and are shocked when someone says "god damn". It's a beautiful place my world. :))