Hughes XV-9

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XV-9
The sole XV-9A departs Hughes Field on one of its first test flights
Type	Experimental helicopter
Manufacturer	Hughes Helicopters
Maiden flight	1964
Number built	1

The Hughes XV-9 (company designation Hughes Model 385) was a 1960s American high-speed research helicopter built by Hughes Helicopters .

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational service 3 Variants 4 Specifications (XV-9A) 5 References 6 External links 7 See also

[edit] Design and development

The Model 385 was designed and built under a United States Army research contract to prove a concept known as hot-cycle propulsion. The helicopter was given the military designation XV-9A with the serial number 64-15107. Two General Electric YT64-GE-6 turbojets were used as gas generators, the jet efflux was ducted to nozzles at the blade tips. The rotor blades also had cooling ducts in both the leading and trailing edges. To keep costs to a minimum the cockpit with two side-by-side seats of an OH-6A was used and the landing gear was from a Sikorksy H-34.

[edit] Operational service

The helicopter first flew on the 5 November 1964. After test flight at Hughes facility at Culver City the XV-9A was transferred to Edwards Air Force Base for further tests. The tests were satisfactory and the company were confident that the hot-cycle system would be widely used, although the XV-9A was noisy and had a high fuel consumption. The company was unable to mitigate the problems and the development by Hughes of pressure-jet systems was not proceeded with. The Army tests were completed in August 1965 and the helicopter was returned to Hughes.

[edit] Variants

XV-9A

United States military designation for the Hughes Model 385, one built.

[edit] Specifications (XV-9A)

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 13.72 m ( ft in)
• Main rotor diameter: 16.76 m ( ft in)
• Height: 3.66 m ( ft in)
• Empty weight: 3856 kg ( lb)
• Gross weight: 11567 kg ( lb) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 222 km/h ( mph)
• Range: 240 km ( miles)

[edit] References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 

[edit] External links

• [1]

[edit] See also

v • d • e United States tri-service STOL and VTOL aircraft designations post-1962 OV-1  • CV-2  • XV-3  • XV-4  • XV-5  • V-6  • CV-7  • XV-8/AV-8A/AV-8B  • XV-9  • OV-10  • XV-11  • OV-12/XFV-12  • (V-13 and V-14 not assigned)  • XV-15  • AV-16  • (V-17 not assigned)  • UV-18  • (V-19 not assigned) • UV-20  • (V-21 not assigned)  • V-22  • UV-23

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