Maximum speed of a helicopter.

reply to post by johnwayne


Fastest speed I found online for the Chinook is 170 knots (196mph) so the 249 mph is definitely faster unless that Chinook data is way off. Most top speeds listed for the Chinook are even slower than that.

Boeing says 150mph top speed for the CH-47D model:

www.boeing.com...

The model 234 they only show 167mph:

www.boeing.com...

Originally posted by Arbitrageur

Originally posted by memarf1
Hey there everyone, would you count the V-22 Osprey as a helicopter? It definitely is not a fixed wing aircraft.

I would call it a twin rotor helicopter that morphs into a fixed wing aircraft with very big propellers!

The more condensed term for what you wrote is 'convertiplane'. This term was coined for the Fairey Rotodyne, which was similar in size and ability to the V-22 but 50 years ago

John Wayne, there are *lots* of helos faster than the Chinook, which isn't classified at all, someone has been having you on.

Also, every helicopter is, by definition, a 'rotor helicopter', whether coaxial, single or intermeshing (see such as the Kaman Huskie), they all still fly with rotors

upload.wikimedia.org...!SFF_002-1055526_Fairey_Rotodyne.jpg

[edit on 29-9-2009 by waynos]

The fastest 'conventional' helicopter (as opposed t s-69, X-2 or V-22) is Westland Lynx

The engineers at Westland took an existing test bed Lynx (registration G-LYNX), and making it lighter and faster including using uprated Rolls Royce Gem engines were also fitted offering 45% extra power.

On the 11th of August 1986, G-LYNX took to the air piloted by John Egginton he set the speed record at approximately 249 mph, or 401 km/h.

This is still the Official World Record as declared by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

Dang. I guess this one got lost somewhere along the way and I forgot all about it.

A big thanks to all who shared their thoughts.

Anyone else who has more to share, please do.

Double post.

Sorry.

[edit on 12/29/2009 by Americantrucker]

The 249.1mph record set by G-LYNX would have impossible without the use of BERP rotor blades.

BERP Blades

I don't know where the author got Lynx III battlefield helicopter from, but the rest is accurate.

When they were fitted to British Army Lynx they were called Composite Main Rotor Blades (CMRB), and gave a smoother ride at high speeds, but made it more difficult and tiring for pilots to carry out sustained hovers.
They were more difficult to track than standard blades initially, but when you got close the 'paddles' seemed to suck each other into alignment.

Retreating blade stall is the limiting factor on a conventional helicopters forward speed. CMRB allow the advancing blade tip to go supersonic, and reduce compressability effects.

9 years working on Lynx, got the scars to prove it!

[edit on 10-1-2010 by Weescotty]