Helicopter Fighters

[Hobbes]

Over on the Secret Projects forum there's a thread on the Westland/VFW-Fokker P277 'Fledermaus' , which had an AA loadout of 2 Matra 550 and 8 Stinger. 

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,207.0.html

AA helicopters are nice, but they're no match for a fixed-wing aircraft. Terrain masking won't help, the aircraft will just climb until it can see the helo (rotors are an excellent radar reflector).

[Weaver]

Did anyone ever release a model kit of this one?

Regards,

Greg

I've never seen a model kit of it in that form, but I think what happened is that it got "stealthified" as it evolved, and that led to the "Stingbat" that Italeri kitted.

Be a good project for a scaleorama'd drop-tank conversion if that GB ever sees the light of day, wouldn't it?

[Army of One]

Oh.....cool thread....!!!! I love the Ka 50 n the idea of it as an escort,I was gonna get round the missile option by saying that the missile carried in the tubes came in a light AAM version....my idea was to paint the tube a different colour.....green for ATGM n something like grey for AAM.....although I think there was a proposed version of it in the real world......not sure if it's the same weapon.....when I get round to my Ka 50 escorts,whoevers they are......will be armed with an AAM version of a ATGM from a tube......gotta love whiffing.....!!!!

[Zombolt]

It's nice to see that my little idea has gotten this much attention 

now, asaid from the obvious, what would be the problem with having afterburners on a helicopter?

joking(maybe) but I was thinking of having the jet ends of the flagon act at a impromptu NOTAR along with adding speed. This would have problems with rotor strength and ripping your own rotors off, yet it would look cool and mess with a group I heard of "JMN's"

[Hobbes]

The extra speed added by the afterburner would cause one of the blades to break the sound barrier, which causes all sorts of problems.

[Army of One]

Yeah I saw airwolf as well.....world of hurt...!!!! 

[Zombolt]

what would the colors scheme be for a heli-fighter? Would it be more towards a Gunship or more Fighter aircraft like?

[Weaver]

Afterburners were discussed by Westland for a high-speed Lynx. If you fit wings, you relieve the rotor at high speed, which both improves it's transonic characteristics by reducing it's "wing-loading" and allows you to slow it down so the advancing blade still doesn't reach transonic speed.

The perennial problem with thrust engines, afterburners and wings is that they're all so much dead weight in the hover, reducing the aircraft's VTO take-off payload, and historically, helicopter customers have regarded payload as more important than speed.

[Taiidantomcat]

what would the colors scheme be for a heli-fighter? Would it be more towards a Gunship or more Fighter aircraft like?

I would do a wrap around gunship style. It would probably be flying low enough that blues and grays would stick out. wraparound because it will be juking and dodging low with some kind of background behind it (hills, trees, mountains etc) and you would not want the underside to be so obvious. False canopy would probably work wonders too 

[Maverick]

Maybe a false 'rotor-blur' as well  

Seriously tho, false canopies are great for DACM but I can't see it being of use in a low-slow helo environment.

Regards,

Mav

[arkon]

if im not mistaken i remember a long time ago there was a proposal for a jet engine helo, but the rotors would stop n be locked into position n act like wings while the jets were on.

[chrisonord]

You might be wanting something like this then??

Chris.

[jcf]

Sikorsky patent for X-wing helicopter fighter:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=Po49AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0



V5N6 of Scott Lowther's Aerospace Projects Review has more drawings and info on various X-wing projects:

http://www.up-ship.com/eAPR/pv5n6.htm

[rickshaw]

X-wing is a great idea.  Problem was they couldn't get it to work when they tried it.  The airflow didn't do quite what they thought it would IIRC.

[deathjester]

How about this 


The Supermarine Spartan Gyrodyne!