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of July 26th, 2010, the Sikorsky X2 is the
Worlds Fastest Helicopter. |
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31st July 2010. Amazingly the title for the Worlds Fastest
Helicopter has stood since the mid-1980s. The previous
record of 249 mph was held by a British Army Westland
Lynx helicopter.
As it stands at the moment, the Sikorsky X2's maximum
recorded speed is 258 mph, but it's an unofficial top
speed. To claim the official Guinness title they'll need
to repeat the high-speed run with Guinness officials and
their timing gear present.
"The X2 Technology demonstrator’s latest
flight is continuing to push the speed envelope, successfully
flying approximately 50 knots faster than a traditional
helicopter," said Jim Kagdis, Program Manager,
Advanced Programs. "Vibration levels and aircraft
performance have continued to meet or exceed our expectations,
so we are pleased to report that all systems are ‘go’
in our mission to achieve a 250-knot cruise speed later
this year."
The X2 is a pretty radical design. Most noticeable are
it's two main contra-rotating propellors, and the smaller
pusher propellor at the rear. The narrow body and sleek
profile are also unusual for a helicopter - in fact it
looks a little bit like an airplane with its wings chopped
off, and a couple of helicopter blades bolted on top.
Sikorsky have been working on the X2 since 2005, and at
the moment it's still in the prototype and development
stage - although if things keep going the way they are
with the project it's almost sure to be an absolute gem.
Sikorsky aren't content with the X2's current top speed
either, in fact they're aiming for a 250knot (287 mph
/ 463 km/h) top speed by the time the X2 is market ready.
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