The Sikorsky final flight was on Thurday at the companys test site in West palm Beach, Fla. Â None of the flights taken by Sikorsky were viewed by anyone buyt the company itsself. On their final flight they showed potential customes what the helicopter could do. Â The helicopter itself had a top speed of 290 mph and the potential of the X2 to go even faster
“Today’s last flight of the X2, with so much more we know that can be achieved in speed and performance, signifies what an empowered team can accomplish,†Bredenbeck said.
Sikorsky’s next helicopter, the S-97 Raider. The six-passenger bird will be developed for the military and will feature the X2’s pusher propeller and counter-rotating rigid rotor blades to maximize speed and agility. It also will feature fly-by-wire flight controls and vibration control developed with the X2.
Most helicopters now in the air can fly about 180 mph at best. The X2 was able to fly just over 290 mph in level flight, an unofficial record it achieved on Sept. 15. Eurocopter also is developing a speedy helicopter using propellers for a boost in thrust. Its helicopter is called the X3 and features a pair of propellers capable of pulling it along at more than 260 mph.
[Wired]
