Jos Heyman
ACCESS: Top Secret
- Joined
- 15 February 2007
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Rotorcycles
In the early 1950s the US Marine Corps was considering a single seat portable ultra light helicopter which could be airdropped. The programme was conducted by the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research and included the following designs:
Hiller 1033 Rotorcycle: Two prototypes, designated as XROE-1, were built by Hiller. They carried serials 4003 and 4004 and the first was used for ground tests only. The first flight was on 10 January 1957. Saunders Roe, an English aircraft manufacturer, was contracted to build ten additional Rotorcycles. Five of these were supplied to the US Navy in 1960 as YROE-1 and carried serials 4020, 4021, 4022, 4023 and 4024. The other five were kept in the UK as Saunders Roe G-46.
Gyrodyne GCA-41: Originally designated as XHOG-1 but eventually redesignated as XRON-1, two were ordered with non-standard serials 4001 and 4002. The first flight was on 23 November 1955. Three types GCA-41A were built as YRON-1 with a Porsche YO-95-2 engine and a 17', 5,18 m rotor. Known serials were 4013 and 4014. One XRON-1, displaying serial 4002, was later converted with a Solar T62 turboshaft engine and was identified as model GCA-41B. The YRON-1 designation was used again for a further development as the model GCA-59. The rdm was 20', 6.10 m, length 11', 3.35 m and it had 1 Porsche YO-95-2. One of these was also converted with a Solar T62 engine but had a rdm of 15', 4.57 m.
Rotorcraft RH-1 Pinwheel
Although it appears only one was built, photos exist of a conversion with a frame as well as a backpack version. This latter version is shown with military markings but there is no evidence of a serial.
The RH-1 flew for the first time on 15 April 1954 and was extensively tested leading to a similar Sky Hook version. The aircraft had completed some 300 test flights by the summer of 1960, when it was damaged beyond repair.
Some reference sources use RF-1, probably an error.
Kellett KH-15
A single example was procured for tests by the Office of Naval Research with serial 140957. It had rocket motors on the rotor tips and made its first flight on 13 May 1954.
Aerospace-General Minicopter
I have not found any further data on this design.
The questions are:
1. Did I catch all the designs being considered in this research?
and
2. It seems that some of these helicopters were serialled in a separate series starting with 4001, but there are gaps in this list (refer above). Not only that, the list is completely different from other US Navy serials so is perhaps a unique list of the Office of Naval Research – but that’s only a guess from my part. Perhaps one of you knows more details.
In the early 1950s the US Marine Corps was considering a single seat portable ultra light helicopter which could be airdropped. The programme was conducted by the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research and included the following designs:
Hiller 1033 Rotorcycle: Two prototypes, designated as XROE-1, were built by Hiller. They carried serials 4003 and 4004 and the first was used for ground tests only. The first flight was on 10 January 1957. Saunders Roe, an English aircraft manufacturer, was contracted to build ten additional Rotorcycles. Five of these were supplied to the US Navy in 1960 as YROE-1 and carried serials 4020, 4021, 4022, 4023 and 4024. The other five were kept in the UK as Saunders Roe G-46.
Gyrodyne GCA-41: Originally designated as XHOG-1 but eventually redesignated as XRON-1, two were ordered with non-standard serials 4001 and 4002. The first flight was on 23 November 1955. Three types GCA-41A were built as YRON-1 with a Porsche YO-95-2 engine and a 17', 5,18 m rotor. Known serials were 4013 and 4014. One XRON-1, displaying serial 4002, was later converted with a Solar T62 turboshaft engine and was identified as model GCA-41B. The YRON-1 designation was used again for a further development as the model GCA-59. The rdm was 20', 6.10 m, length 11', 3.35 m and it had 1 Porsche YO-95-2. One of these was also converted with a Solar T62 engine but had a rdm of 15', 4.57 m.
Rotorcraft RH-1 Pinwheel
Although it appears only one was built, photos exist of a conversion with a frame as well as a backpack version. This latter version is shown with military markings but there is no evidence of a serial.
The RH-1 flew for the first time on 15 April 1954 and was extensively tested leading to a similar Sky Hook version. The aircraft had completed some 300 test flights by the summer of 1960, when it was damaged beyond repair.
Some reference sources use RF-1, probably an error.
Kellett KH-15
A single example was procured for tests by the Office of Naval Research with serial 140957. It had rocket motors on the rotor tips and made its first flight on 13 May 1954.
Aerospace-General Minicopter
I have not found any further data on this design.
The questions are:
1. Did I catch all the designs being considered in this research?
and
2. It seems that some of these helicopters were serialled in a separate series starting with 4001, but there are gaps in this list (refer above). Not only that, the list is completely different from other US Navy serials so is perhaps a unique list of the Office of Naval Research – but that’s only a guess from my part. Perhaps one of you knows more details.
