FASTEST HELICOPTER NEARS COMPLETION

Chronicle (Levin), 6 January 1948, Page 8

FASTEST HELICOPTER NEARS COMPLETION

A British commercial heavy 'duty helicopter, probably the world's fastest and most powerful, is expected to make a- first flight next Spring. n , , A product of the Cierva Autogiro Company, the W. 11 "Air Hoxse" .is the first "British freight-carrying helicopter. The poWer for its three rotors is supplied by a 1640 h.p. Merlin engirje and a capacious "streamlined box" fuselage accommodates 24 passengers or three tons of cargo as well as a two-man crew. With these loads it can cruise at 116 m.p.h. for 232 miles. The maximum speed is 154 m.p.h. Embodied in this ambitious project is the experience of more than 22 years of development and production of rotation wing aircraft. And the associated company of J. and G. Weir were flying helicopters as far baek as 1938. Thus the W. 11 has a background of design and flying experience second to none in this field. Asked why he has turned his attention to designs of the magnitude of the new freight-carrying project, Mr. Cyril Pullin, managingv director of Cierva, says: "We are satisfied that a large helicopter- carryIng a payload of at least 11 tons is a sound economic proposition. The number of component parts is very little greater than on a small helicopter — it is chiefly a question of increase of weight. As the complex mechanical helicopter is scaied up, so the cost price per pound Weight is reduced." A smaller version of the "Air Horse" is the W.12, powered by two 550 h.p. Leonides air-cooled engines, and 'capable of transport 12 passengers or U tons. Mr. Pullin revealed recently that investigations had been rpade into the use of gas turbine engines in these helicopters with promising results.