Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter
Ultra-light Helicopter | |
---|---|
The Ultra-light Helicopter in flight | |
Role | Light Army helicopter |
National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Fairey Aviation Company |
First flight | 14 August 1955 |
Retired | 1959 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | The manufacturer |
Number built | 6 |
The Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter was a small British military helicopter intended to be used for reconnaissance and casualty evacuation, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company.
The Ultra-light had been conceived of as a straightforward, low cost and easily transportable helicopter. It lacked any tail rotor due to the decision to propel the rotorcraft using unconventional
The Ultra-light found itself a casualty of the British defence economies of the later 1950s, as well as of intense competition from rival firms who had their own light rotorcraft projects, in particular the
Development
Origins
During the early 1950s, the
Further requirements for the prospective light helicopter included a flight endurance of one hour along with the potential for carrying light cargoes such as fuel and tools, as well as stretcher-bound wounded troops.[1] An initial request for a rear-facing observer's seat was present early on, but was discarded in later revisions. At this time, newly developed gas turbines were beginning to appeal both to helicopter designers and to prospective operators, the British Army made the use of such an engine one of its requirements.[1]
There was also an interest in producing rotorcraft that made use of tip-driven
Competition and selection
A diverse range of entries were submitted in response to the issuing of the requirement; amongst these were
A suitable powerplant for a compact rotorcraft had been identified in the form of the
In response to the detailed design submission that Fairey had produced for their proposal, the Ministry decided to award the firm a contract to produce a total of four development aircraft for demonstration and flight testing purposes; the company later decided to construct a further two more rotorcraft as a private venture.[2]
Design
The Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter emerged as a compact side-by-side two-seater, powered by a single
The Ultra-light was constructed around a light
The alloy box structure was attached to and carried a box girder tail boom on which the engine, a horizontal tailplane and vertical stabilizer and rudder surfaces were mounted.[2] The rudder projected beneath the boom into the jet efflux and provided effective yaw control even when the aircraft was stationary. The undercarriage was a simple pair of tubular steel skids directly attached to the box structure, porter bars could be attached to the skids to allow the rotorcraft to be carried by hand.[2][6]
Operational history
On 14 August 1955, the first prototype Ultra-light helicopter conducted its
After its completion, several modifications were made to the first prototype. This machine originally had only the rudder at the end of the boom, but a horizontal tailplane bearing end-plate
There were many demonstrations of the Ultra-light's capabilities performed at airshows, during military exercises and at sea, including a deployment aboard the U-class destroyer HMS Grenville.[2] However, the British Army had become more focused on the Saunders-Roe Skeeter and addressing that rotorcraft's shortcomings, such as ground resonance and engine issues.[7] According to Wood, the rival Skeeter had made a good early impression in Germany and had attracted the offer of a military order for the type from the German government, but that this was on the condition that the Skeeter was in turn adopted by the British armed forces as well. Thus, the decision was taken in Whitehall to concentrate on the Skeeter, effectively abandoning the Ministry requirement that the Ultra-light was being developed towards meeting.[7]
Having become aware that the British Army was no longer likely to order the Ultra-light, Fairey instead promoted the type for its potential use within the Royal Navy.[7] While some trials were conducted, including one prototype being successfully tested for suitability on board an aircraft carrier, the Navy appeared to lack enthusiasm for the Ultra-light and it became clear that the Ministry would not be providing any further funding for its development. Recognising that the prospects for a military order from the British services to have become very limited, the company decided to re-orientate the Ultra-light to conform with the preferences and needs of civil operators instead.[7]
Fairey proceeded to develop a dedicated model of the Ultra-light for the civil market, specifically designed to be capable of conducting functions such as communications activities and
Despite considerable interest from abroad, particularly from customers in the US and Canada, no orders for the type were received and only the six development Ultra-lights were constructed before the programme was ultimately abandoned in 1959.[2] A major factor in Fairey deciding to terminate work on the programme, aside from the lack of orders, was the limited resources available to the company, and the increasing levels of work on the then-promising Fairey Rotodyne, a much larger compound gyrocopter that also made use of tip jets and some of features of the Ultra-light.[7]
Surviving aircraft
The second prototype of the Ultra-light, which featured a modified nose so that it could accommodate a stretcher for its intended use as a casualty evacuation helicopter. In 1977, it was rediscovered in a derelict condition on a farm near
The sixth prototype to be completed, G-APJJ, was tested by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Thurleigh, Bedford and by the Royal Navy, before being retired. After periods of lengthy storage it was given for exhibition at the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport located at Baginton, to the south of the city.[9][10]
Specifications
Data from Fairey Aircraft since 1915,[11] Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59 [12]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 640 lb (290 kg) payload
- Length: 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m)
- Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
- Gross weight: 1,800 lb (816 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Blackburn-Turbomeca BnPe.2 Palouste 500gas turbine gas generator
- Main rotor diameter: 28 ft 3.5 in (8.623 m)
Performance
- Cruise speed: 98 mph (158 km/h, 85 kn)
- Range: 1,890 mi (3,040 km, 1,640 nmi) (tropical)
- Hover ceiling OGE: 4,800 ft (1,500 m)
- Endurance: 2 hours 30 minutes (tropical)
- Rate of climb: 950 ft/min (4.8 m/s) vertical at sea level
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Saunders-Roe Skeeter (direct competitor)
- Bell H-13 Sioux
- Bell 47
- Kawasaki KH-4
- SNCASO SO.1221 Djinn
- Hughes TH-55 Osage
- Agusta A.105
- Kamov Ka-15
- PZL SM-4 Łątka
Related lists
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Wood 1975, p. 111
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Taylor 1974, pp. 398–404
- ^ Wood 1975, pp. 111–112, 114
- ^ Wood 1975, pp. 111–112
- ^ Wood 1975, pp. 113–114
- ^ a b c d e f Wood 1975, p. 114
- ^ a b c d e f Wood 1975, p. 115
- ^ "Fairey Ultra-Light". The Helicopter Museum: The Collection. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ Ellis 2012, p. 257
- ^ "Aircraft Listing." Midland Air Museum, Retrieved: 5 February 2017.
- ^ Taylor 1974, p. 404
- ^ Bridgman 1958, pp. 79–80
Bibliography
- Bridgman, Leonard (1958). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958–59. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd.
- Ellis, Ken (2012). Wrecks & Relics 23rd Edition. Manchester: Crecy Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85979-172-4.
- Taylor, H.O. (1974). Fairey Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0-370-00065-X.
- Wood, Derek (1975). Project Cancelled. Macdonald and Jane's Publishers. ISBN 0-356-08109-5.