Helicopters

Sick of straining your arm to get that all-important above the crowd video angle? Here's a solution that will give you a true birds-eye view. Due to hit the market at the end of the year, FlyingLift is a remote controlled quadrocopter which can carry a conventional video camera of up too 500 grams in weight while beaming images back to the ground in real-time. The system consists of an electrically powered carbon fiber chopper, a backpack-mounted receiver unit, a hand-held controller and a set of video glasses which deliver what the camera sees to one eye while leaving the other eye free to follow the quadrocopter in flight.  Read More

Sikorsky Aircraft’s coaxial X2 Technology demonstrator has achieved the 250-knot (287.69 mph) milestone that was established as the goal of the craft from its inception. The speed, which was achieved in level flight during a 1.1-hour flight on Wednesday, September 15, is an unofficial speed record for a helicopter, easily beating the current official world record that stands at 216.46 knots (249.1 mph) set by the British built Westland Lynx ZB-500 in 1986.  Read More

Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing laser systems for protecting military helicopters from heat-seeking missiles. The lasers wouldn’t shoot down the missiles, but would instead jam their sensors, essentially blinding them. This isn’t the first time that laser systems have been used for this purpose, but the creators of this system claim that it is better suited to helicopters than anything that has come before.  Read More

James Bond, Evelyn Salt, Jason Bourne... One thing you'll notice about all secret agents (at least, the ones worthy of Hollywood franchise love) is that if they need to get the hell outta Dodge, ANY vehicle will do. These super-spies are just as comfortable behind the controls of a jet plane, a submarine, a tank or a jetpack as you or I are cruising around in an automatic car. Why let them have all the fun? Here's a 5-minute hi-def primer on the basics of flying a helicopter, so you'll know what you're doing next time you 'jack an Apache.  Read More

Officially announced at AirVenture 2010, Sikorsky's Project Firefly sets out to demonstrate the feasibility and showcase the benefits of electrically powered helicopters. The technology demonstrator is based on an S-300C light helicopter, with a 190-horsepower electric motor replacing the standard piston-engine and lithium ion battery packs added to either side of the cabin. The result is a significantly more efficient system that – although it's expected to fall short of typical helicopter performance when the first flight takes place later this year – is just the tip of the iceberg for the new era of manned electric rotorcraft.  Read More

Sikorsky Aircraft’s goal of producing the fastest helicopter ever built has taken another step towards becoming a reality. Its coaxial X2 Technology demonstrator has achieved a speed of 181 knots (208 mph) in a test flight – faster than the 160-170 knot speeds generally possible with conventional helicopters and edging closer to the eventual aim of delivering 250 knot (288 mph) cruising speeds.  Read More

It's not surprising that Mercedes Benz should begin developing luxury helicopters and luxury yachts. The original meaning of the trademarked Mercedes three pointed star signified mobility on land, on water and in the air, so it is possible that the portfolio will include boats, aircraft, helicopters and other transport products. Unveiled in Geneva this week, the new Mercedes Benz Style EC145 Luxury Helicopter is actually a twin-engine turbine Eurocopter EC145 model with an extensive interior redesign using Mercedes' knowledge of luxury materials, lighting and re-purposing flexibility to offer both luxury ambiance and German practicality. It's all the work of the newly created Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy. Oh, and they're also working on a prototype yacht.  Read More

Northrop Grumman Corporation and Bell Helicopter have teamed up to develop Fire-X, a medium-range vertical unmanned aerial system (VUAS) that is designed to stay airborne for longer periods of time, communicate more easily with their commanders, and deliver more cargo to more remote locations. The new rugged, high-capacity UAS is based on the four-blade, single-engine Bell 407 helicopter that’s been in commercial use since 1996 and takes advantage of Northrop Grumman’s experience in developing the smaller Fire Scout UAV.  Read More

Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace Corporation have transformed a 6,000lb power lifting K-MAX helicopter into an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and successfully tested airdropping cargo by parachute to simulate resupplying troops in the field. The test involved cargo airdrops from 300ft-400ft using a four-hook carousel during one flight, demonstrating how the UAV could conduct four drops in a single mission.  Read More