Hughes XV-9A and related Hot Cycle Projects

hesham · 3 July 2007

Hi,

The Hughes project of hot-cycle rotor.

hesham · 19 July 2008

Hi,

here is two Hughes helicopter projects,they were developed
from XV-9.

http://xplanes.free.fr/xv9/xv9a-4.html

Jemiba · 19 July 2008

There seems to be a relationship to this design for a hot-cycle compound,
shown in AviationWeek 2/1966:

Jemiba · 20 July 2008

Ah, this one, I think, is very similar to the one shown in Aviation Week 1966,
although not with the high set engines (?) at the tail:

amsci99 · 21 July 2008

Jemiba said:
Ah, this one, I think, is very similar to the one shown in Aviation Week 1966,
although not with the high set engines (?) at the tail:

Jemiba,

Reminds me of the failed X-50 Dragonfly. Wonder if they would have achieved better success with this configuration. Anyway, I read on the Ares Blog that Boeing is restarting the project.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3ad5fc1583-d8b7-4930-b087-add6a7f22725&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending

Triton · 4 August 2009

Found this artwork on eBay, the seller describes it as a Hughes helicopter plane.

Orionblamblam · 5 August 2009

Triton said:
Found this artwork on eBay, the seller describes it as a Hughes helicopter plane.

Hughes "Hot Cycle." At $800, it had better be the actual painting, but it looks more like a lithograph, in which case the asking price is a tad high.

Matej · 5 August 2009

Funny, I wasn't able to identify it for a long time. In this drawing it is labeled as XV-18A (?) -19A and as the "composite research aircraft"

mattrix · 5 August 2009

Funny, I wasn't able to identify it for a long time.

Me neither, but some time ago, there were posted some other pictures of the same concept in this forum I believe. In my collection it was identified is... Y-wing:

Matej · 5 August 2009

It looks like a vital idea, so what are its disadvantages? In other words, why it was not built? The one possibility that comes to my mind is something close to the X-50A: the lift generated by the Y wing is too low.

Stargazer · 5 August 2009

At last this "XV-" project is related to some existing project. Thanks to you all!
As for the "Hot Cycle" name, this refered to Hughes' XV-9A prototype, not the one in the picture.
In case some of you may not remember that strange bird, here is a great page about it:

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/mcdonnel_hot.php

Matej · 10 August 2009

Stargazer2006 said:
As for the "Hot Cycle" name, this refered to Hughes' XV-9A prototype, not the one in the picture.

"Hot cycle" is primarily the technical principle, not the name. So it can be used in any project, that has rotor blades equipped with the tubes and thrusters, that are directing the *hot* gas from the engine to the end of the rotor blades.

Stargazer · 10 August 2009

True, thanks for clarifying this!

gfi88 · 4 October 2009

A Hughes XV-9A prototype model was just posted on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280405328772&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching#ht_500wt_977

Triton · 13 January 2010

Hughes Helicopter Contractor Desk Model – Not Topping

URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/Hughes-Helicopter-Contractor-Desk-Model-Not-Topping_W0QQitemZ110480400704QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19b9252140

Description:

This is a Hughes Y-Wing / Hot Cycle Concept Model. The model was made by Hughes in the 1960’s. The model measures 18” long and the y-wing measures 12” wide. The model is solid resin and it is in overall good condition. The resin has some hairline cracks in a few places due to age. The flash in the pictures show the cracks, but they are not as noticeable in person. The tail has a small chip and one of the y-wing tips does as well. One of the y-wings has been repaired (pictured). The model has two moveable doors that open on the top of the cockpit and the y-wing will spin. The stand is metal with painted rocks to simulate the model hovering over a field. The stand measures 13” long x 8” wide and weighs approximately ten pounds. This is an extremely rare one of a kind model, so don’t miss out! No Reserve! Other forms of payment excepted from US buyers.

In the 1960s, Hughes looked at using hot-cycle reaction drive to power a stoppable rotor/wing. The Y-shaped rotor/wing would rotate to generate lift like a helicopter, then slow and stop to become a swept wing for high-speed forward flight. Windtunnel and whirlstand testing revealed vibration problems, and the idea was dropped.

Triton · 13 January 2010

Additional photographs of the Hughes Y-Wing / Hot cycle concept model.

Triton · 19 January 2010

Wow! Sold for $1,624.00.

Triton · 20 August 2010

1967 Hughes Hot Cycle Heavylifter helicopter print ad found on eBay.

URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/1967-Hughes-Hot-Cycle-Heavylifter-helicopter-print-ad-/14043

Triton · 17 September 2010

Description:

Old HUGHES Rotary Wing Concept Brochure

This is a very unusual 4-sided full-colour brochure on the Hughes rotor/wing concept, which was a proposal for a thick wing-like rotor which would stop in forward flight to enable the aircraft to travel up to 500 mph. Very good condition.

Caravellarella · 5 April 2011

Dear Boys and Girls, here is an article in French about the Hughes XV-9A test-bed......

The article comes from the 1st March 1965 issue of Aviation Magazine International......

Terry (Caravellarella)

hesham · 9 August 2011

Hi,

it seems to be the Hughes XV-9 early drawing versions.

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/408650.pdf

ermeio · 25 August 2011

I'm looking for a 3-view drawing and details about of this helicopter
Can anyone help?
ermeio

Stargazer · 25 August 2011

ermeio, I think we have a topic on the Hot Cycle program in the Aerospace section, with lots of pics and info. Until you find it, here's a set of proposed configurations for the Model 385:

ermeio · 26 August 2011

Thanks to you all for the pics
I didn't hope to find such a huge quantity of material.
Forgive me - I didn't know that aerospace section was the right place to ask.
Best regards ermeio

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Hughes Hot Cycle brochure:

(c) Stingray's Archive

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Having upload trouble...

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Stingray · 13 July 2012

Last post.

Stargazer · 14 July 2012

Goodness gracious me. This is SWEET!!! Thanks a lot for sharing Travis, it's appreciated. Have we seen the end of the brochure? Perhaps now we could turn it into a downloadable PDF?

Antonio · 14 July 2012

Perhaps now we could turn it into a downloadable PDF?

I use this efficient app in my mac:

http://sintraworks.com/index.php/sintraworks/pdfnomad_home/

robunos · 14 July 2012

Perhaps now we could turn it into a downloadable PDF?

Done. But it's over 18 Mb. How to upload it here... ???

cheers,
Robin.

overscan (PaulMM) · 17 July 2012

18MB PDF

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/HughesHotCycleconcept.pdf

Brickmuppet · 17 July 2012

OK I've looked through the thread and read the PDF and it seems that the XV-9A was reasonably successful and the concept had the potential to be 'all that and a bowl of grits'.

I'm also noting that nigh on 40 years later there aren't many hot cycle whirllycopters in use except in limited applications (like where icing is an issue).

Every design has tradeoffs...Aside from the higher noise level (which the paper seems to think was minor) what engineering problems did this have?

robunos · 17 July 2012

This, from Putnam's 'McDonnell Douglas' Volume 2, PP.267-9 :-

"From the economic and environmental points of view, however, the XV-9A was less successful as the exhaust...was noisy and unacceptable in urban areas, and as fuel consumption rate was rather high."

Thus, it seems the old enemy of gas-drive rotors, noise, reared it's ugly head once again, and the high fuel consumption wouldn't help either.

cheers,
Robin.

circle-5 · 18 July 2012

Most people who lived in Culver City, CA at the time, remember hearing the XV-9A all the way from Hughes airport, nearly two miles across town. Up close it wasn't just noisy, it was deafening. It was also a particularly unpleasant kind of warbling howl.

The SPL diagrams shown in the report are wishfully optimistic.

Hughes XV-9A and related Hot Cycle Projects

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