Twin CH-47 Idea

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, Being Inspired by the Twin Hulled Airliner that was Posted,What If a Twin or Twin Hulled CH-47 were Built as an Assault Transport? Just an Idea i Thought i'd Post. Don't know What Model Kits would work but Thought i'd Mention it. Thanks for looking.Dan

[Weaver]

How do you see it working in detail? 

If it's just two Chooks linked together by some sort of wing/wings, then bear in mind that those wings will be LONG to get rotor clearance, and consequently heavy. Winged helicopters have been projected many times with the idea of unloading the rotors in cruising flight, but few have been built because the downside is that in the hover, the wing is so much deadweight detracting from payload capacity, and generally the payload weight has been considered more important that the range and/or speed.

[PR19_Kit]

You could have the two hulls one behind the other........... 

Four rotors, on ever-increasing heights of pylons, with a MONSTER cargo hook under the belly. Of course you'd probably need a separate cockpit for the after half as the structural vibration modes of such a fuselage would mean they'd effectively be two Wokkas flying in close formation.......!

[Note: Nothing in this suggestion is intended to be taken in ANY way seriously]

[Weaver]

Or alternatively, have the two fuselages one on top of the other with co-axial rotors on each upper mast, the top rotors being driven by co-axial shafts from the bottom gearboxes - you could call it a CH-380.....

[Radish]

Sounds very good idea....or use the CH-46 for a smaller alternative?

[proditor]

I say, go big or go home.  Intermeshing blades on canted rotor hubs.   

http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/87/mamba/

[kitnut617]

Intermeshing blades on canted rotor hubs.   

Many moons ago I drew up a design something like that, I planned on using four CH-53 rotors and each rotor was on the corners of a very large helicopter.  I had the whole space in between the fuselage sides as a hold.  But after four house moves, do you think I can find the drawing ---- 

[Taiidantomcat]

I say, go big or go home.  Intermeshing blades on canted rotor hubs.   

Thats what I was thinking. The only thing is those Chinook Blades are long and droopy, you would have to raise the mast to get ground clearance up front.

[ramprat]

You could also use a Chinook center fuselage and a CH-46 fuselage on each side for a 6 rotor lift. You still may need to intermesh the rotors for clearance, but it would look cool.

[Green Dragon]

I did some sketches in the 80's of the four-rotor intermeshing idea like a Kaman Huskie, having a widened very large cargo hold and stretched Chinook sides merging into a slightly widened Chinook Cockpit. I clipped the rotor length to avoid ground strikes and accidental beheadings!

Paul Harrison