McDonnell XHCH-1 Navy cargo-unloading helicopter Competition

know, that in competition participated 6 firms:

1) McDonnell Model M-86
2) ? Model ?
3) ? Model ?
4) ? Model ?
5) ? Model ?
6) ? Model ?

Help to find and other projects...

McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Greetings All -

One of my finds over at the Greater St. Louis Aviation Museum was this proposal for the McDonnell Model 86 Cargo Unloader Helicopter dated 1 May 1951.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Neat. especially the pivoting tail. Do you know how that would have been used? to reduce download in hover ???

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Hi,

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Thanks Hesham - I missed that on the search.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Was it really 1951! Turbine power for a helicopter is pretty bold in 51. I just was not aware of anyone working on turbines that early.

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Yep, 1951. I was impressed too...

Enjoy the Day! Mark

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

McDonnell Model 86

Military designation: XHCH-1

Powerplant: 2x 3750eshp Allison XT56-A-2
1x 726kg thrust McDonnell 12JP20

Significant dates: ordered 1952, cancelled 1959

The McDonnell Model 86 was the first helicopter specially designed for the Navy vert-rep (vertical replenishment) mission — carrying supplies and ammunition between ships — and for the Marine logistic support mission — carrying heavy loads for short distances from ship-to-shore or from marshalling areas ashore to front-line units. Emphasis was placed during its design on extreme simplicity, ease of maintenance, and good flying characteristics while carrying underslung loads of up to 6804kg when operating at normal gross weight, or 9979kg when operating at overload gross weight. The powerplant installation, derived from that developed for the XHRH-1, consisted of two 3750eshp Allison XT56-A-2 turbines mounted atop the fuselage and providing compressed-air to the 726kg thrust McDonnell 12JP20 pressure jet at the extremity of each rotor blade. The crew of two consisted of a pilot on the starboard side and an aft-facing winch operator to port. There was no provision for carrying loads internally. Loads were to be carried externally on a sling, in a net, or in a specially-developed pod. This pod was to be fitted with a detachable tail unit to stabilize the load in flight and with large wheels to enable it to be towed on uneven ground after it had been delivered to forward bases. Consideration was also given to using the Fairchild pod which had been designed for the XC-120 twin-engined cargo aircraft.

Three XHCH-1 prototypes (BuNos 138654/138656) were ordered on 11 April, 1952, under Contract NOa(s)52-947 and a mock-up was inspected on 22 and 23 May, 1953. However, the programme was later cut back due to lack of funds. No prototypes were completed but a much revised mock-up was inspected on 15 and 16 November, 1956, and a full-scale rotor was tested on a hot-whirling bench beginning in December 1957. Additional budget cuts forced the Navy to terminate the contract on 18 January, 1959, before completion of a prototype. Nevertheless, McDonnell kept working on the Model 86 sky crane until June 1961.

Population: 0 (only a full-scale mock-up)
Navy serials assigned as [138654/138656]

Specs: Rotor diameter: 19.81m, length: 11.45m, height: 5.07m, empty weight: 6749kg, loaded weight: 16026kg, maximum weight: 19051kg, maximum speed at sea level: 185km/h, rate of climb: 16m/s, hover ceiling out of ground effect: 2285m, combat radius: 37km

Crew/passengers: 2 (1 pilot, 1 winch operator)

(I did that article loooong ago for my upcoming website, didn't keep track of sources then, sorry for that).

Hi,

I think my dear Stargazer2006 is right and the Hiller Type-1108 was submitted
to this tender.
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6820.0/highlight,type-1108.html

That's McDonnell Model 86, nugo, not "M-86"...

Hi hesham and Stargazer2006!

Hiller Typ-1108-later proposal (began :1960-1961 )
and the competition of XHCH-1 began in 1951.
If the Hiller is involved, then: or H-100? or H-10?? or ?

I know, (yes you are right), I just wrote so;
McDonnell Model 86 aka McDonnell M-86.

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Here is what the McDonnell 86 was meant to look like:

Photograph of the full size mock up of the McDonnell Model 86 (XHCH-1).

Source: Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920 Naval Institute Press 1990

By the way,

the Competition was started in 1952 and ended in 1955,and I think the Gyrodyne
GCA.24 was involved in it.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%200666.html

By the way,

the competition was for cargo and flying crane helicopter,so I suggest
that the Hiller Model-1005 was involved in it.

hesham said:

By the way,

the competition was for cargo and flying crane helicopter,so I suggest
that the Hilleer Model-1005 was involved in it.

Click to expand...

This is NOT so. The Model 1005 is variously found as the "Aerial Carryall" or the "Flying Truck" (the latter name being used for several projects) but it was submitted for an 1951 Army proposal for a midsize flying crane. I don't think I have ever seen a picture of that design. In the same period, Hiller also responded to a Navy request for an aerial-resupply helicopter with the huge "Class HC Heavy Lifter", a collapsible flying crane of tubular construction. Neither of these efforts reached the prototype stage. Obviously, "Class HC" is the category that McDonnell's Model 78 (the HCH) was competing for.

Here are some original company pics of the "Heavy Lifter" in scale model form:

Hi,

from Spangenberg files,they spoke about Kaman K-6,Hughes
Model-233 and Gyrodyne GCA.21 as cargo-unloader helicopters
and I think they related to this Competition,and for GCA.24,
I think it was only developed from GCA.21,and didn't belong
to this one.

Spangenberg actually lists more:

• Gyrodyne GA-21
• Hiller Carry-All (presumably a derivative of Model 1005)
• Hughes 233
• Kaman K-6
• McDonnell Model 86 > XHCH-1 (the winner that was later canceled)
• Sikorsky XHCS "Flying Crane" (could very well be the DS-160 design)

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

NOTE: This new topic was split from the old "McDonnell rotorcraft" thread.

From Aero, December 1959, an artist's impression of the McDonnel XHCH-1:

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Hi All -

A recent donation of material to our Museum netted the attached images. A shame it did not get built.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

What a neat model of the XHCH-1! That would look so good in my rotorcraft section...
Thanks Mark -- your good work is appreciated.

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Marvelous pics of a pet project of mine. Thank you so much Mark! You're the best!

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Thanks guys - it's fun finding and sharing these gems. Wait until you see the STOL DC-9 drawing - awaiting a new scanner here at work to scan the drawing and some other goodies.

More to come! Mark

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Mark Nankivil said:

Wait until you see the STOL DC-9 drawing

Click to expand...

Is that the McDonnell 253? Can't wait, anyway... Thanks again!

Re: McDonnell Model 86 flying crane helicopter project (U.S. Navy XHCH-1)

Scaled-up (75 feet) version of the XV-1 rotor to be used in the XHCH-1, seen here undergoing tests (source: NASA/CR—2003–212799):

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208008038417551&set=o.34366349783&type=1&theater

Triton said:

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208008038417551&set=o.34366349783&type=1&theater

Click to expand...

Nice pic, but obviously a distorted screen capture, unfortunately.
I've attempted to restore it to something more realistic:

Triton said:

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208008038417551&set=o.34366349783&type=1&theater

Click to expand...

Nice find my dear Triton.

Actually, I've just realized this is originally from a file by Jos Heyman which can be found here:
https://usmilitaryaircraft.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/navy-h.pdf

Thank's Skyblazer for identifying my website as the reference source.
The photo concerned is a McDonnell photo. Here is a better version.

Hi All -

There's already a thread on the McDonnell XHCH-1:

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,16437.msg208130.html#msg208130

Enjoy the Day! Mark


Topics merged, thank you !