Landgraf H-2
| H-2 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Single-seat twin-rotor helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Landgraf Helicopter Company |
| Designer | Fred Landgraf |
| First flight | 2 November 1944 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Landgraf H-2 was an American single-seat twin-rotor helicopter designed by Fred Landgraf and built by the Landgraf Helicopter Company of Los Angeles, California. Although awarded a development contract by the United States Army, it was not developed and was overtaken by more advanced designs.
Design and development
[edit]Fred Landgraf formed the Landgraf Helicopter Company in September 1943 to develop and manufacture the H-2. It had an enclosed structure for one pilot and an 85 hp (63 kW) radial engine driving two rotors, each rotor fitted to a short boom on each side of the fuselage. It had a fixed tricycle landing gear. The H-2 first flew on 2 November 1944 and the company was awarded a development contract by the United States Army. It was not developed or bought and the company ceased operations by the end of the 1940s.
Unlike conventional helicopters, the H-2 used a tension-rod drive system to drive the side-by-side rotors.[1] Control of blade pitch was also unconventional, with the blade shells rotating freely about the spars, controlled by ailerons near the tips.[2]
Specifications
[edit]Data from [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: 186 lb (84 kg)
- Length: 15 ft (4.6 m) fuselage only
- Wingspan: 12 ft 2 in (3.7 m) outrigger wings
- Width: 29 ft 10 in (9.1 m) including rotors
- Powerplant: 1 × Pobjoy R 7-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 85 hp (63 kW)
- Main rotor diameter: 2 × 18 ft 1 in (5.5 m)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
See also
[edit]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
[edit]- ^ ALLWARD, MAURICE F. (14 October 1948). "Tie-Rod Transmission". Flight: 458. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ "Landgraf Model H-2". Stingray's List of Rotorcraft. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ Eckland, K.O. (2008-08-15). "American airplanes: La - Li". Aerofiles.com. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
Bibliography
[edit]- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing. p. 2280.
External links
[edit]- PCAM (June 2013), Of Fleets, Luscombes, and a Plywood Helicopter (PDF), vol. XVIII, Pacific Coast Air Museum, pp. 2–3