home » Chart of accounts » 1 local helicopter. Hiller ROE Rotorcycle: ultra-light single-seat helicopter

1 local helicopter. Hiller ROE Rotorcycle: ultra-light single-seat helicopter

In 1954, Hiller entered into a contract with the Pentagon to design and build an ultralight helicopter designed for just one person. The Hiller ROE Rotorcycle, also known as the Hiller XROE-1, made its first flight on January 10, 1957. As a result, Hiller produced only a small batch of pre-production samples of the XROE-1 Rotorcycle, a number of such machines were assembled under license at the facilities of the British company Saunders-Roe Ltd, while the machine was never transferred to mass production. In total, 12 or slightly more ultralight single-seat helicopters were assembled, 7 of which are today in various aviation museums, and one in a private collection.

Structurally, this helicopter, which is also called a rotary cycle, was a vertical pylon with a landing gear in the form of three pillars that formed a pyramid. The pilot's seat was attached to the lower part of the pylon, and the tail boom was attached to the upper part. A two-bladed rotor was installed above the pylon. The power plant was represented by a 4-cylinder Nelson engine that developed 43 hp. At the same time, the maximum speed of the miniature helicopter was 125 km / h, the flight range was 267 kilometers, and the practical ceiling was 2800 meters.

This little technical masterpiece remained unclaimed. The aircraft, which could land on absolutely any site, attracted increased attention from military and civilian customers, but nothing more. The Americans believed that the Hiller XROE-1 had a bright future, including as a personal vehicle, but after the construction of several copies assembled in the USA and the UK, the project did not receive proper development and was closed, forever remaining one of the many experiments in world aviation.

The History of the Hiller ROE Rotorcycle

In 1954, the American designer Hiller received an order for the development and serial production of a small single-seat helicopter from representatives of the US Navy's naval aviation. The first flight of this unusual device, which received the designation XROE-1, took place on January 10, 1957. By July of the same year, the entire complex of flight tests of the machine was completed, and during their conduct, the military noted the considerable potential of this miniature helicopter and thought about sending it into mass production. After completing the tests, Hiller began a demonstration tour with a prototype of his helicopter, which lasted 4 months and passed through American military bases. At the same time, an unusual aircraft was also presented to representatives of European states, members of the NATO bloc. He did this for the sole purpose of trying to find sales markets for his device, determine the potential demand for it and work out the possibilities of serial production of the “rotorcycle” abroad.

In September 1958, the US Navy agreed with the Heeler company to build five aircraft that were intended for the Marine Corps (MCC). This rapid adaptation of an unusual aircraft to the needs of the ILC further fueled interest in an unusual helicopter abroad. Journalists from European countries wrote about an unusual aircraft, calling it a "pocket helicopter", and the English company Saunders-Roe LTD even bought a license to produce these rotorcycles. At the same time, all components would still be delivered to the UK from overseas.

A total of 10 aircraft were produced in the United States: 5 for the Marine Corps and another 5 for demonstration flights that were conducted around the world. So, one of the rotary cycles was presented in France. The prototype shown here at first even interested the French company Helicop-Air, which initiated negotiations with Hiller's company to purchase a license to produce this device in Europe, but rather quickly these negotiations came to a standstill. The company from France limited itself to demonstrations of this ultra-small single-seat helicopter based on Issy-les-Moulineaux.

The Americans were interested in using an unusual aircraft for military purposes. In particular, they were extremely interested in the options for using a miniature helicopter as a communications, reconnaissance, tactical vehicle for small military formations. Indeed, the military use of this single-seat helicopter required minimal logistical effort, since it could be transported in the most ordinary container by road or light aircraft, and it could be used from any site. It was also planned to be used as a rescue vehicle and a vehicle for evacuating the wounded from the battlefield.

But there were also purely civilian tasks for an unusual aircraft: observation of civilian objects (work in the police, forestries, customs, control of dams and power lines). In addition, a single-seat helicopter could be used as a vehicle for representatives of some peaceful professions (postman, doctor), especially when working in hard-to-reach areas.

At the same time, the civilian use of the device at that time was not yet so relevant, since the cost of serial copies was overstated and ranged from 4 to 5 million francs. In addition, in order to pilot this rotary cycle, it was necessary to have a valid helicopter pilot diploma. It is also worth adding here that many journalists were afraid of using such an aircraft in the city. For example, Maurice Morel, an employee of the French magazine L'Equipe, called a single-seat helicopter a "sky scooter", noting that if two scooters collide on a city street, it will not be so scary, but if they collide with each other at a height 50 meters, this can be fatal, and not only for the pilots, but also for the people who find themselves below.

A single-seat helicopter was very compact and could be easily transported by different modes of transport, and it could also be simply dropped with a parachute in a special container without the threat of crashing on landing. At the same time, it was very easy to assemble a miniature aircraft. The assembly of the helicopter was ensured by means of only 13 easily joined locks, which formed the steering beam, the landing gear, and the propeller blades. The machine could be brought to a fully operational state in just 10 minutes, while everything was done according to a fairly simple instruction that explained the installation and assembly sequence. The device was disassembled according to the same instructions, but all actions were performed in the reverse order.

The rotor cycle itself consisted of a semi-monocoque pylon, in which a 43 hp engine was installed, a three-post aluminum chassis that absorbed energy during landing, and also a simple tail boom. In this case, the pilot was in an open seat of the simplest design, being fastened in it with a conventional belt. A single-seat helicopter used a two-bladed propeller, which was located on the main pylon and had a diameter of 5.62 meters. The tail rotor had a diameter of 0.91 meters. The prototype number "2", which was ready at the end of 1960, was additionally equipped with a stabilizer on the tail boom.

Initially, the fuel tank was installed directly above the engine, but later it was moved to the place where the tail boom was attached to the main pylon, and it acquired the shape of a sphere. The four-cylinder two-stroke Nelson engine used on the helicopter developed a power of 43 hp. at 4000 rpm. At the same time, its weight did not exceed 20 kg, and engine cooling was provided with the help of oncoming air flows during the flight. The instrument panel, which was located on the nose landing gear, consisted of a tachometer, altimeter, anemometer and fuel gauge. Additionally, a single-seat helicopter could be equipped with a very light transceiver. At the ends of the tricycle landing gear, floats could be installed, designed for landing on water or even skis in case a helicopter was used in snowy mountainous areas.

A compact single-seat helicopter could lift a pilot (weighing approximately 77 kg) and a variety of military cargoes with a total weight of up to 116 kg into the air. The characteristics of the machine were very different depending on the airborne load. At the same time, an empty helicopter weighed 140 kg, and the maximum take-off weight was 255 kg. With a weight of 220 kg, the aircraft could ascend at a vertical speed of approximately 3.45 m/s (at sea level), but at an altitude of 1500 meters this speed dropped to 3.05 m/s. With the maximum takeoff weight, the rate of climb of the rotorcycle decreased, amounting to 4.67 m/s and 2.70 m/s, respectively. The maximum speed of the device was 125 km / h, cruising - 84 km / h. At the same time, fuel consumption was approximately 18 liters per hour, and its supply provided a small helicopter with a maximum range of 267 km.

According to the pilots who flew on a rotary cycle, it was more convenient to fly a small device than the most ordinary helicopter, since it had significantly less inertia, and in the air the device behaved much more stable than an ordinary heavy helicopter of those years. First, the pilot sat in his chair, as on the most ordinary bicycle, lifting his leg, after which he sat down comfortably and set his feet on the control pedals. Starting the single-seat helicopter engine was very easy thanks to the presence of an electric starter, and it took less than a minute to warm up the engine. After landing the device on the ground, the rotor brake stopped the rotation of the helicopter blades for five seconds.

Flight performance:

Overall dimensions: length - 3.81 m, height - 2.29 m, rotor diameter - 5.64 m.
Empty weight - 140 kg.
Maximum takeoff weight - 255 kg.
The maximum flight speed is 125 km / h.
Cruising flight speed - 84 km / h.
Practical range - 267 km (77 kg pilot and 39 kg fuel on board).
Practical ceiling - 2800 m.
Crew - 1 person.

Sources of information:
http://avianikitoss.livejournal.com/473056.html
http://aviadejavu.ru/Site/Crafts/Craft31853.htm
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/oh/roe1.html
Based on materials from open sources

In Russia, a unique light multi-purpose high-speed helicopter (MSV) with the beautiful name "Bottled Dolphin" was developed. The Russian development runs on ordinary motor gasoline and, according to the developers, has no analogues in the world. The helicopter was created by HeliWhale LLC from the city of Kemerovo. It is expected that in 2016 the company will be engaged in the serial production of this MRV "Afalina". A light two-seat helicopter will be able to solve a wide range of tasks, including special tasks in the interests of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other Russian structures.

For the first time, a new helicopter from the Helivale company was presented to the general public as part of the HeliRussia 2015 exhibition, which was held from May 21 to 23 in Moscow at the Crocus Expo exhibition center. According to RIA "", at present, this light two-seat helicopter is undergoing a set of practical tests with the prospect of launching a serial model of the helicopter into commercial production next year. At the exhibition, which was held in Moscow in May, a demonstration sample of the Bottlenose Dolphin was shown. Russian production, combined with technical solutions, made it possible to significantly optimize the cost of one flight hour, which makes it possible to use this light helicopter for solving a wide range of various tasks, the developers of the rotorcraft note.

The Bottlenose Dolphin is a light twin-rotor single-engine helicopter with a tandem arrangement of pilots. Its aerodynamics are based on the further development of the ABC (Advancing Blade Concept). The maximum speed of the small helicopter is 250 km/h (cruising speed 210 km/h) and the maximum flight range is 750 km. The takeoff weight of the helicopter does not exceed 500 kg. At the same time, the machine at this point in time has the best flight performance in its class and meets all the main modern requests from consumers of such products. The high-speed capabilities of the helicopter and the increased size of its cabin provide an additional level of comfort during its operation.

It should be noted that the Kemerovo helicopters have an unusual design. According to the owner of HeliWhale, Yakov Kolesnik, in 2013 a patent was obtained for a control system for coaxial rotors of a high-speed helicopter. The use of a coaxial helicopter scheme implies the absence of a propeller located on the rear axle. Coaxial helicopters have a somewhat more complex structure, but their efficiency is also higher. The model was named "Bottle Dolphin" in honor of the most intelligent species of dolphins among all representatives of cetaceans; in Russia, you can watch this smart and beautiful marine animal on the Black Sea.

At the moment, high-speed helicopters are an unfilled niche in the field of aircraft manufacturing. The theoretical prerequisites for the creation of such machines were formulated in the late 1970s. The first really high-speed models of helicopters were tested in the 80s of the last century by Sikorsky Aircraft. However, further work in this area was temporarily suspended. They were renewed only in 2006. Then the same company designed and built an experimental prototype of the Sikorsky X2 helicopter: it was a prototype of a high-speed coaxial helicopter with a pusher propeller, built on the basis of the S-69 helicopter. Already in 2010, this experimental machine managed to set a flight speed record for helicopters. Now helicopter-building concerns and manufacturers from Europe and Russia have joined the issue of creating high-speed helicopters in all classes.

Taking into account the industry development trends and the demands of the growing Russian aviation market, the designers of the Helivale company began work on the creation of a high-speed helicopter for general aviation. The main task in creating the helicopter was to ensure the availability of the machine and certain speed characteristics. When creating a helicopter model, the Kemerovo company used the experience of the world helicopter industry, innovative technical ideas, and also tried to take into account the needs of future customers of its machine. According to the official website of the Helivale company, today light two-seat helicopters are widely used in the world, so the company believes in a happy flying life for their offspring.

HeliWhale is owned by Kuzbass Capital Invest shareholder Yakov Kolesnik. At the same time, Yakov Kolesnik opened a small plant for the production and repair of helicopters without financial support from the region and the state - he basically does not call his brainchild a business. “Business is what makes money in the world today. We do not have such a commercial goal, and will not have it later. We are currently doing design work and we love it. We develop helicopters, and money can be made on other things. My main task now is to ensure that the people who work with me here receive normal wages, as in normal countries, so that such activities are prestigious, ”said Yakov Kolesnik in an interview with one of the Kemerovo publications. In his understanding, a normal salary is about 100 thousand rubles a month.

Kolesnik considers such remuneration for work to be quite justified, since it is quite difficult to find specialists for the design and assembly of helicopters in Kemerovo. The chief designer of the Afalina light multi-purpose high-speed helicopter is Mikhail Mamykin, a native of Novosibirsk, who worked for 15 years in Novosibirsk at the famous Chkalov Aviation Plant (NAZ named after V.P. Chkalov). Specialists in plastic parts - from Kemerovo. They are headed by Maxim Ivlev, whom Yakov Kolesnik met back in his school years in an aircraft modeling circle and a few years ago hardly persuaded him to leave the field of car tuning for the aircraft industry. Such a team worked on a promising Russian novelty.

In addition to the Bottlenose Dolphin, which has already been shown at the exhibition, there is also the Bottlenose Dolphin Turbo. This helicopter will be able to reach a maximum speed of up to 300 km/h in the air. The estimated price of future rotorcraft is about 150 thousand dollars. “Many people ask us, where do we get spare parts for the helicopter? So, we don’t take them anywhere, but we made them ourselves. Nothing was stolen from anyone. In our project, the only foreign thing is that in our country they are not able to do it - this is the "engine" and electronics, that is, navigation equipment. Everything else - frames, fuselage, blades, seats - was designed and manufactured in Kemerovo," Kolesnik told reporters.

MSV Bottlenose Dolphin is the result of the painstaking creative work of a team of like-minded people, people who are fanatically devoted to aviation. In just four years, the production facility, which has grown here from "zero" literally in a wasteland, has turned into a full-fledged small, well-equipped and high-tech plant for the repair and production of light helicopters. In the near future, the company plans to establish serial production of helicopters and enter the Russian and international markets with the finished product. The Afalina helicopter can be useful for the needs of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, fuel and energy companies, air ambulance, for the needs of private and corporate clients, and used for training purposes.

In the backyard, Yakov Kolesnik equipped a helipad, from time to time helicopters of his friends land on it, who fly to visit him. Kolesnik himself prefers a helicopter to a car for business trips around the region. The growth of interest in small aircraft in Kemerovo is so great that a private airfield was even opened in the regional center. You can learn to be a pilot today at the Kemerovo flying club. Businessman Yakov Kolesnik himself believes that the use of light helicopters in modern life is economically justified and safe. According to him, a trained pilot will be able to correctly direct the helicopter even if the engine fails. “Once, at an altitude of 200 meters, my engine failed, and I landed in autorotation mode. Having landed, I turned off all the electronics, listened to myself - there were no injuries, got out of the car and left. This is a regular situation,” Kolesnik said.

Design features

The bottlenose dolphin is powered by the German Rotax 914 UL with 115 hp. The choice of the engine was due to the fact that Rotax piston engines are distinguished by high economic performance, and also have a long service life. Such an engine is ten times cheaper than a small-sized gas turbine engine and consumes little fuel in cruising mode (up to 18-22 liters per hour). At the same time, the engine runs on ordinary automotive fuel - AI-95 gasoline, which is widely represented in Russia, and not on special aviation kerosene. Today, these aircraft engines are installed on many aircraft. The engine proved to be very reliable and was certified in Europe.

The main gearbox is a proprietary development of the Kemerovo company. A two-stage gearbox is used. The first stage of the gearbox is a cylindrical helical gear, the second stage is a two-line bevel gear with a circular tooth. In the second stage of the gearbox, an oil temperature sensor, a chip detector and a rotor speed sensor were placed. The helicopter engine and gearbox are interconnected by a transmission, which includes a damping elastic rubber clutch and an engagement clutch (in one unit).

The carrier system of the helicopter is coaxial synchronized propellers. The blades are made of carbon fiber, they are rigidly fixed in the bushings.

Helicopter fuselage: truss frame, welded from pipes (St20). The cockpit, tail boom and plumage of the machine are made of glass-carbon fiber. The location of the pilots in the cockpit is tandem, the control of the helicopter is paired. To maintain the required temperature in the cockpit, there is a ventilation and air heating system on board.

Helicopter landing gear skid aluminum. For transportation of the machine on the ground, the installation of removable wheels is provided, which allow only one person to transport the helicopter to its permanent base without any problems.

An interesting feature is the ability to install a high-speed parachute system MVEN "Cobra" -500 on a helicopter. This is a pyrotechnic system with forced opening of the parachute, which is able to save a load weighing up to 500 kg. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more obvious that the use of parachute rescue systems, which, in the event of an accident or an emergency, rescue pilots along with the aircraft, is the most rational way to improve flight safety on ultralight aircraft. This is also proved by the statistics of successful applications of such rescue systems.

Purpose and scope of the helicopter "Afalina"

Today, all over the world, light two-seat helicopters have a fairly wide range of applications. These machines are mainly used for:
- education and training of helicopter pilots;
- aerial photography and observation of the area;
- police patrol;
- control of power lines and pipelines;
- transportation of medical staff;
- transportation of individuals;
- administrative transportation;
- aviation agricultural work;
- work in the fishing industry;
- sports flights.

Flight performance characteristics of the helicopter "Afalina":
Overall dimensions: length - 7.2 m (without blades), width - 1.85 m, height - 2.8 m, rotor diameter - 6 m.
The number of rotors - 2 (6 blades each).
Takeoff weight - 500 kg.
The mass of the structure is 270 kg.
Payload weight - 180 kg.
The power plant is Rotax 914 UL (115 hp).
Fuel consumption - 18-22 l/hour.
The maximum flight speed is 250 km / h.
Cruising flight speed - 200 km / h.
Maximum flight range - 750 km.
Static ceiling - 2000 m.

Sources of information:
http://heliwhale.ru (manufacturer)
http://www.arms-expo.ru/news/novye_razrabotki/rossiyskaya_afalina_mnogotselevogo_naznacheniya
http://biz.a42.ru/lenta/show/yakov-i-vertoletnaya-fabrika.html
http://www.helirussia.ru/ru/dlya_smi/press_relizyi/2015/04/06/kompaniya_"xelivejl"_predstavit_na_helirussia_2015_novyij_sverxlegkij_skorostnoj_vertolet_"afalina"
http://lenta.ru/news/2015/05/12/helirussia

Hirobo Electric Corporation promises to launch a revolutionary vehicle on the market - an electric one-seat mini-copter capable of flying with a passenger at a speed of 100 km / h.

The dream of a car that can fly, or a helicopter that can fit in a backpack, is constantly threatened by unknown companies that quickly disappear without being able to design anything practical. This time, the serious helicopter corporation Hirobo, headquartered in Hiroshima, announced the creation of a compact aircraft. She demonstrated a prototype of this device.

The layout of the future mini-helicopter was exhibited at the International Aerospace Exhibition in the Japanese city of Nagoya. According to Hirobo President Kotaro Matsuzaki, his company has invested 10 billion yen ($125 million) to bring the vehicles into use for personal flights.The main purpose of Hirobo mini-helicopters is transportation in case of accidents and disasters. The company plans to produce two types of these helicopters: an unmanned one for 10 million yen ($125,000) and a single-seat one for 30 million yen ($375,000). Unmanned models can be used for urgent transportation of materials such as human organs or blood.

Hirobo mini-helicopters will be able to accelerate up to 100 km/h and fly without refueling for 30 minutes. They will be powered by an electric motor, which could make them useful for rescue missions. The quiet sound of the engine will allow the pilot to find people calling for help.Release mini-helicopters for sale Kotaro Matsuzaki expects to 2021 . The company fears more legal than technical difficulties. Hirobo predicts that it will take two to four years to get permission to use mini-helicopters in Japan. The prospect of using mini-helicopters to rescue people is encouraging, but many are worried by the obvious fact that their use as urban transport poses a significant threat to people's lives and infrastructure.

Currently on the market you can find gasoline-powered single-seat helicopters costing several thousand dollars, as well as instructions on how to construct such a device yourself based on a chainsaw engine. However, the convenience and safety of these vehicles remain at an extremely low level.

The most famous of the single-seat mini-helicopters is the GEN H-4, manufactured by the Japanese company Gene. This $60,000 aircraft consists of just a seat, landing gear, and two 4-meter counter-rotating propellers. Gasoline engines GEN H-4 are capable of accelerating the helicopter to 90 km/h and work without refueling for 30 minutes.

On July 20, 2016, an ultra-light folding Mikron helicopter took off for the first time at the Voskresensk airfield. Dmitry Rakitsky controlled the helicopter in this flight. That first prototype has already gone to a new owner, and the next version of the helicopter was presented at MAKS-2017. The design of the apparatus has undergone significant changes, not a single bolt remains from the original version.

products webpage?

Micron is a coaxial helicopter developed by aircraft designer Valery Shokhov with the support of the AIRLANE aviation company and the Gyroplane.ru team. According to the creators, the device was designed based on the Ka-56.

The second Micron has an open cockpit and a propeller with a diameter of 5.3 meters. The light helicopter has high controllability and unique maneuverability. An empty Micron weighs only 115 kg, is designed for a single pilot and is equipped with a compact coaxial rotor design.
If I understood correctly, then the price for such a helicopter was announced within 3.5 million rubles?

Helicopter data plate with this engine.
If I understand correctly, then the blades for the helicopter were created by Nikolai Sannikov (on the forum - niksaan). A team of composers from Kharkov under the leadership of Kalnitsky A.M. - prepared fuselage parts from KM.

After the death of Dmitry Rakitsky, the banner of testing these helicopters was picked up by Dmitry Shadrin.

Roller wheels? On the first copy, the wheels were larger, what has changed?

And it looks like a different design of footrests and pedals? I don't see pedals here at all.

Engine and drive. Bush HB semi-rigid type with torsion bars from VNS-2. Initially, only four engines were planned for installation on a helicopter: Rotax 503, Hirth H32, MZ 202, RMZ 550, and now R582, RMZ 551.

Dashboard. It is immediately clear that this helicopter is not going to fly under the IFR yet :-)))

MZ202 engine, its weight is 40 kg with a power of 60 hp. .

And belt drive screws.
According to the creators, the specific parameters of the helicopter (load on swept area, load on power) are very close to such devices as the Ka-26 and XRON. Therefore, they expect that the behavior in the autorotation mode will not differ much from the behavior of the above vehicles. During the tests, Dmitry Rakitsky, when switching to the autorotation mode, estimated that there was more time to reset the speed to a critical value than on the R-22.

Technical and flight characteristics of the first Micron prototype and (second copy)
Length: 3.1 m.
Width: 1.6 m.
Height: 2.53 m.
Helicopter weight: 115 kg.
Maximum takeoff weight: 242 kg.
Payload: 127 kg.
Cruise speed: 88 km/h
Maximum speed: 112 km/h
Practical ceiling (dynamic): 3000 m.
Hovering height (taking into account the influence of the earth): 2408 m.
Hover height (excluding ground influence): 2073 m.
Rate of climb: 293 m/min
Flight duration: 1 hour
Flight duration (with additional tank): 2.73 hours
Fuel consumption: 19 l/hour.
Standard tank volume: 19 l
Extended tank volume: 53 l
Fuel type: automobile gasoline AI-95
Power plant: Rotax 503/MZ202 (2 cycles, 2 cylinders)
Power: 50 HP/60 HP
3-point, wheel chassis
Cabin type: open
Rotor diameter: 4.5 m / 5.3 m.
Main screw speed: 730rpm/569rpm
Folding tail boom.

Design features

The carrier system of the helicopter is coaxial synchronized propellers. The blades are made of carbon fiber, they are rigidly fixed in the bushings.

Purpose and scope of the helicopter "Afalina"

1 local helicopter. Hiller ROE Rotorcycle: ultra-light single-seat helicopter

Popular