The design includes two main rotor blades of stainless-steel-fiberglass construction and rotor hub with elastomeric bearings, which are lubricant free. Its cabin holds a maximum of ten persons with one-two pilots and eight to nine passengers. Seating configurations include standard seating for a pilot and seven passengers; or executive seating with one to two pilots and seating for five to six. The Bell 222 and 230 are usually flown single-pilot (optional dual controls are available), and can be configured for corporate/executive, EMS or utility transport missions.

The Bell 222 is powered by twin Lycoming/Honeywell LTS101-650 turboshaft engines, rated at 592 shp each. Later 222 versions feature more powerful engines. Engine output is at 100% of rating at 9598 RPM. Two independent driveshafts deliver power from the engines to the transmission. The Bell 222's LTS engine exhaust stacks are located at the rear of the engines, while the 230's Allison engine exhaust stacks are located high on the cowling. Fuel is stored in three tanks, one in the fuselage and one in each sponson. The main rear landing gear retracts into the sponsons.

For more details, including the eleven variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the 230 model.

Development began in the late 1970s with two Bell 212s being converted into 412 prototypes. An advanced four-blade main rotor with a smaller diameter replaced the 212's two-blade rotor. A Bell 412 prototype first flew in August 1979. The initial model was certified in January 1981 with deliveries commencing in the same month. The 412 model was followed by the 412SP (Special Performance) version featuring larger fuel capacity, higher takeoff weight and optional seating arrangements. In 1991, the 412HP (High Performance) variant with improved transmission replaced the SP version in production. The current production version, 412EP (Enhanced Performance), is equipped with a dual digital automatic flight control system. In 2013 Bell introduced the 412EPI which includes an electronic (Digital) engine control for a PT6T-9 engine upgrade, and a glass cockpit display system similar to the Bell model 429. Also featured is a Garmin touchscreen navigation system, and the BLR Strake and Fast Fin upgrades for improved hover performance. Over 700 Model 412s (including 260 by AgustaWestland) have been built.

Details of the fifteen variants can be found here.

Bell 412 helicopters have been operated in Australia by

• Ambulance Victoria (replaced with the AgustaWestland AW139 in 2016)
  
• Babcock Mission Critical Services
  
• Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Western Australia
  
• Emergency Management Queensland
  
• New South Wales Police Force
  
• New South Wales Rural Fire Service
  
• MedSTAR
  

Specifications below are for the 412EP.

The Bell 429 GlobalRanger is a light, twin-engine helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter and Korea Aerospace Industries. The first flight of the prototype took place on February 27, 2007, and the aircraft received type certification on July 1, 2009. The Bell 429 is capable of single-pilot IFR and Runway Category A operations.

The impetus for developing the Bell 429 came primarily from the emergency medical services (EMS) industry. The Bell 427 was originally intended to address this market, but the 427's small cabin size would not adequately accommodate a patient litter, and the systems did not support instrument flight rules (IFR) certification. Bell's original concept for the 429 was a stretched model 427 (unveiled as the Bell 427s3i at the 2004 HAI helicopter show), but this still did not provide what Bell and its customer advisers were looking for.

Bell abandoned the 427 airframe and went to its MAPL (Modular Affordable Product Line) concept airframe[8] that was still in conceptual development at the time. The 429 employs the all-new modular airframe concept and the advanced rotor blade design from the MAPL program, but maintains a derivative engine and rotor drive system from the 427. The basic model includes a glass cockpit and is certified for single pilot IFR. Bell partnered with Korea Aerospace Industries and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace of Japan in the helicopter's development.

Bell had flown most of the critical MAPL technology components, using a 427 testbed aircraft, by February 2006. The first completed 429 flew on February 27, 2007. Certification was originally planned for late 2007, but program schedule delays, primarily caused by parts and material shortages common to all aviation manufacturers in that time period, caused the manufacturer to stretch the development timetable. In October 2007, the external configuration was set. In February 2008, Bell had three 429s in flight testing that had completed 600 flight hours. Its high-altitude testing was conducted in Colorado and its high-temperature testing in Arizona.

The helicopter received type certification from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) on July 1, 2009, and from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by July 7, 2009.[14] EASA certification was announced at Helitech on September 24, 2009. TCCA and authorities in some other countries later approved an increased weight exemption for the aircraft. However, FAA and EASA disagreed with the weight exemption, which had allowed the 429 to operate for the Canadian Coast Guard.

For details of design and operational history, click here.

It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946.

Early models varied in appearance, with open cockpits or sheet metal cabins, fabric covered or open structures, some with four-wheel landing gear. Later model D and Korean War H-13D and E types settled on a more utilitarian style. The most common model, the 47G introduced in 1953, can be recognized by the full "soap bubble" canopy, exposed welded-tube tail boom, saddle fuel tanks and skid landing gear. The aircraft used in the award-winning M*A*S*H television series was a Bell H-13 Sioux, the U.S. Army equivalent of the Bell 47D-1. Being the first certified helicopter, the utilitarian Bell 47 chalked up a wide variety of firsts.

For a summary of the many variants, click here, and for specifications and differences of the various models, click here. Specifications listed below are for the Bell 47G-3B model.

It was an executive variant of the highly successful Bell 47 and was the first helicopter to carry a United States president.

The 47J was a four-seat variant of the earlier three-seat Bell 47H. The 47H was a deluxe variant of the 47G with a fully clad fuselage and an enclosed cabin. The 47H proved to be too small, so Bell developed the 47J. The 47J was a single pilot aircraft with the pilot seat and controls centered in the front of the cabin, and positioned close to the 180° view unobstructed Lexan "bubble" windscreen. A single bench seat at the rear of the cabin spanned its entire width and allowed for a passenger capacity limited by weight to typically 3 or 4 adults.

In March 1957 two Bell 47Js were bought by the United States Air Force as presidential transport and designated H-13J. On 13 July 1957 a H-13J was the first helicopter used by a United States president when it carried Dwight D. Eisenhower from the White House. In March 1962 the two helicopters were moved from presidential duties but were used as VIP transports for the next five years until retired in July 1967.

Two Bell 47J-2s were used during the 1966 film production of Paradise, Hawaiian Style starring Elvis Presley. Throughout the film Presley's character, Rick Richards, was flying a Bell 47J-2 over the Hawaiian Islands. James Bond used a 47J in Thunderball to search for the sunken nuclear bomber.

For details of the 17 variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the 47J-2A variant.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X (JRX) is an American/Canadian light helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter and produced by Bell Textron Canada. The Bell 505 was unveiled at the 2013 Paris Airshow in June 2013 as the Bell SLS (Short Light Single). The Bell 505 designation was officially announced in February 2014. Its first flight occurred on November 11, 2014. The helicopter was certified by Transport Canada in December 2016.

The helicopter was unveiled at the 2013 Paris Airshow on June 17, 2013 as the Bell SLS (Short Light Single). The model designation was later announced at HAI Heli-Expo 2014 in Anaheim, California on February 25, 2014.

The Bell 505 is a "clean sheet" design, but uses some dynamic components, such as the rotor system, of the Bell 206L-4. The airframe is constructed of metal and composites, and has a 22-square-foot (2.04 m²) flat floor and an 18-cubic-foot (0.51 m³) luggage bay. The Safran Arrius 2R is the type's engine with a dual-channel FADEC and a 3,000-hour Time-between-overhaul. The 505 cockpit is equipped with the Garmin G1000H glass avionics suite. Various options such as a cargo hook are available.

The 505 was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in June 2017 and received high altitude certification (22,500 feet density altitude) in June 2019. Bell delivered the 100th 505 Jet Ranger X in June 2018, and the 200th in August 2019.

The Bell 525 was unveiled at the 2012 Heli-Expo in Dallas, Texas in February 2012. The helicopter first flew on 1 July 2015. It is designed to transport up to 19 passengers.

Bell predicted certification to be completed by the end of 2017. The FAA suggested special rules in May 2016, to address the fly-by-wire concept. On July 6, 2016, the prototype crashed during a test flight near Italy, Texas, killing the two occupants. The aircraft, carrying registration N525TA, broke up in flight while traveling about 229 mph (199 kn) at an altitude of about 2,000 feet (610 m). The crash delayed certification from 2017 to 2018.

The Bell 525 is designed to meet a requirement for a medium-lift helicopter. It will be constructed primarily from composites and metal and is to be the first commercial helicopter to incorporate fly-by-wire flight controls with tactile cues. The system is triple redundant, and is developed in two simulator environments. The 525 is powered by a pair of GE CT7-2F1 turboshaft engines, with a new composite five-blade main rotor system. The cost of the 525 has not yet been determined, but it is expected to be cost competitive on missions between 50 and 400 nmi, performed by helicopters such as the AgustaWestland AW139 and Sikorsky S-92.

It is designed with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.

The Osprey is the world's first production tiltrotor aircraft, with one three-bladed proprotor, turboprop engine, and transmission nacelle mounted on each wingtip. It is classified as a powered lift aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration. For takeoff and landing, it typically operates as a helicopter with the nacelles vertical and rotors horizontal. Once airborne, the nacelles rotate forward 90° in as little as 12 seconds for horizontal flight, converting the V-22 to a more fuel-efficient, higher speed turboprop aircraft. STOL rolling-takeoff and landing capability is achieved by having the nacelles tilted forward up to 45°. Other orientations are possible. It has a ferry range of over 2,100 nmi. Its operational range is 1,100 nmi.

Composite materials make up 43% of the airframe, and the proprotor blades also use composites. For storage, the V-22's rotors fold in 90 seconds and its wing rotates to align, front-to-back, with the fuselage. Due to the requirement for folding rotors, their 38-foot (11.6 m) diameter is 5 feet (1.5 m) less than optimal for vertical takeoff, resulting in high disk loading. Most missions use fixed wing flight 75% or more of the time, reducing wear and tear and operational costs. This fixed wing flight is higher than typical helicopter missions allowing longer range line-of-sight communications for improved command and control.

Exhaust heat from the V-22's engines can potentially damage ships' flight decks and coatings. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) devised a temporary fix of portable heat shields placed under the engines, and determined that a long-term solution would require redesigning decks with heat resistant coating, passive thermal barriers, and ship structure changes. Similar changes are required for F-35B operations. In 2009, DARPA requested solutions for installing robust flight deck cooling. A heat-resistant anti-skid metal spray named Thermion has been tested on USS Wasp.

For more deetails on the development, design and operational history of the V-22 and its seven variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the MV-22B Marine Corps variant.

The Bensen B-8 is a small, single-seat autogyro developed in the United States in the 1950s. Although the original manufacturer stopped production in 1987, plans for homebuilders are still available as of 2019. Its design was a refinement of the Bensen B-7, and like that aircraft, the B-8 was initially built as an unpowered rotor-kite. It first flew in this form in 1955, and on 6 December a powered version, designated B-8M (M for motorised) first flew. The design proved to be extremely popular and long-lasting, with thousands of sets of plans sold over the next thirty years.

The B-8's design is extremely minimalist, with not much more to the aircraft than a pilot's seat, a single tailfin, a rotor, and (in powered versions) the powerplant. In May 1968 a B-8 and B-8M were studied by the USAF under the Discretionary Descent Vehicle (DDV) program as the X-25B and X-25A respectively. In this scheme, it was proposed to integrate combat aircraft ejection seats with a small autogyro or rotor kite to allow downed pilots more control over their post-ejection landing spot. The X-25A and X-25B were used to evaluate the piloting and training requirements of the autogyros. No full-scale operational tests were ever performed. The U.S. Air Force stopped funding the DDV program with the end of the Vietnam War.

One B-8M, named Spirit of Kitty Hawk (registration N2588B) was used to make a special commemorative flight exactly duplicating the first flight of the Wright brothers' original Flyer on the sixtieth anniversary of the occasion. This same aircraft was flown by Igor Bensen himself between May 1967 and June 1968 to set twelve world and US speed, distance, and altitude records for autogyros, the largest number of such records to be held by any non-military rotorcraft.

Variants

B-8 Gyro-Glider - unpowered rotor-kite intended to be towed behind a car
B-8B Hydro-Boat - B-8 with a full boat hull intended to be towed behind another boat
B-8M Gyro-Copter - standard motorised version, main production type. Usually powered by a McCulloch 4318 engine
B-8MH Hover-Gyro - twin, coaxial rotor design with powered lower rotor and autorotating upper rotor, giving it the capability of hovering. Upper rotor and drive propeller powered by separate engines
B-8MJ Gyro-Copter - B-8M modified for "jump" take off by a small second engine providing power to rotor head with anti-torque provided by rudder correction under power.

B-8MW Hydro Copter - float-equipped B-8M
X-25A - B-8M evaluated by USAF. Single example (serial 68-10770) first flown 5 June 1968 and preserved at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
B-8 Super Bug - similar to B-8M but with extra engine to spin up rotor before take-off
B-8HD Super Gyro-Copter - development of Super Bug first flown in 1979 with hydraulic drive to pre-rotate rotor rather than separate engine
B-8V - B-8 powered by a Volkswagen air-cooled engine
B-8W Hydro-Glider - float-equipped B-8 intended to be towed behind a boat
X-25B - B-8 evaluated by USAF. Single example (serial 68-10771) first flown 23 January 1968 and preserved at the AFFTC Museum at Edwards Air Force Base.
Rotorcraft Minicopter Mk 1 - South African variant with pre-rotator and cockpit fairing.
Aeroflyte DGH-1 - 70 hp (52 kW) license-built model from Aeroflyte.

The Brantly 305 is an American five-seat light helicopter of the 1960s. It is an enlarged version of the Brantly B-2 which was produced by the Brantly Helicopter Corporation.

The five-seater Model 305 helicopter is based on the smaller two-seat Brantly B-2 that was designed by Newby O. Brantly. The helicopter is powered by a Lycoming IVO-540 flat six piston engine.[1] The enlarged cabin has room for five passengers, two side-by-side forward-facing seats and a bench seat at the rear for three passengers. The Model 305 first flew during January 1964 and FAA type approval was received 29 July 1965. 45 were built during the mid 60's by Brantly and Brantly-Hynes produced an improved version in 1985 of which 4 were built. The Brantly 305 suffered from a ground resonance problems.[citation needed] Hynes developed a more powerful and streamline version in 1993, none were produced.

After the failure of his first design, the Brantly B-1, Newby O. Brantly decided to design a simpler and less complicated helicopter for the private buyer. The B-2 had a single main rotor and an anti-torque tail rotor and first flew on 21 February 1953. This was followed by an improved second prototype that first flew on 14 August 1956.

The B-2A was introduced with a modified cabin, and the B-2B had a larger 180 hp fuel-injected engine. The B-2B has a three-bladed articulated main rotor and an all-metal fuselage, it can be operated with skid, wheel or float landing gear. The piston engine is fitted vertically in the fuselage behind the cabin.

Variants

• Brantly B-2: Two-seat single-engined light utility helicopter.
  
  • Brantly YHO-3: United States military designation for the B2.
    

  [*]Brantly B-2A: Initial production version.

  [*]Brantly B-2B: Improved version, fitted with new metal rotor blades, and an uprated fuel-injected 180 hp Lycoming piston engine.

  [*]Brantly 305: Larger five-seat version.

  [*]H-2: Designation of the B-2B built by Brantly-Hynes between 1976 and 1979.

  [*]Brantly B-2J10: Projected tandem-rotor version with longer and wider fuselage for carrying passengers and/or cargo. Unbuilt.

  [*]V750 UAV: An UAV version developed by Qingdao Haili Helicopters Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Brantly International Inc, Qingdao Wenquan International Aviation Investment Co., Ltd, and Qingdao Brantly Investment Consultation Co., Ltd.[5] Maiden flight was completed in May 7, 2011, and received an order from an unnamed customer

The Bratukhin Omega (also known as the 2MG) was an early Soviet helicopter, the first product of a new Soviet design bureau, OKB-3 that was created from within TsAGI specifically to develop rotary-wing aircraft. Bratukhin's design was a transverse rotor aircraft, with each rotor carried on a long outrigger truss. The Omega's rotors were each powered by a separate engine carried in a nacelle also at the end of the truss. Captive trials commenced in August 1941 and revealed severe problems with engine vibration and overheating. Before these could be addressed, however, OKB-3 was evacuated ahead of the German advance into the Soviet Union.

Flight testing recommenced in mid-1942, with the Omega still flying on a tether until early the next year. Free-flight trials confirmed the design as basically sound, so although the engine difficulties were never fully resolved, Bratukhin was convinced that further development along the same general lines would prove fruitful. Development of the Omega helicopter was incremental with progressively more powerful engines, stronger structure and more reliable dynamic components, such as gearboxes and transmission shafts.

The ultimate iteration of the Omega was the Bratukhin B-11 which was used to compare characteristics of the products of the three competing helicopter designers. Completed in 1948 this was probably the most successful of the breed up to that time but still exhibited some of the short-comings of the configuration; mismatch between fixed wing and rotor and reliability of the complex dynamic components.

The lateral twin-rotor system was not put to rest, however, and was resurrected in the Kamov Ka-22 and the Mil V-12.

Variants
Bratukhin 2MG (2 Motor Gelikopter – twin engined helicopter) - Alternative designation for the 'Omega'.
Bratukhin Omega II - The Omega with more powerful engines in streamlined pods, with fan-assisted cooling, and stiffer, more reliable dynamic components.
Bratukhin G-2 - Alternative designation for "Omega II".
Bratukhin G-3 - 2 x prototype artillery spotter helicopters, "Omega II" with imported 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engines. One prototype 'AK' delivered to VVS for pilot training.
Bratukhin G-4 - The first Soviet helicopter powered by purpose-designed engines with a cooling fan and front mounted gearbox with outputs for rotor drive and inter-connection shaft as well as a centrifugal clutch and improved rotor, two prototypes built.
Bratukhin B-5 - The first Helicopter named after Bratukhin was a scaled-up "G-4" with more powerful engines and a new airframe of light alloy stressed skin with a lifting aerofoil wing set at zero incidence, completed in 1947 but only limited test flying due to excessive wing flexure.
Bratukhin B-9 - An ambulance derivative of the 'B-5' with a larger fuselage housing four stretchers in two layers with an attendant. The wing was changed to a symmetrical section set at positive incidence. One example completed in 1947 but never flown due to the wing flexure problems identified by flight testing of the 'B-5'.
Bratukhin B-10 - With a new fuselage this slightly enlarged version of the "B-9" introduced bracing struts from the fuselage through the wings at the main spar and up to the rotor head. An observation cupola was fitted at the extreme nose, above the pilots cockpit, and a gunners position was provided at the aft end of the fuselage. Power was supplied by fully boosted AI-26GRF engines. A twin-finned variable incidence tail unit was also introduced. The new fuselage allowed the "B-10" to fulfill all the envisaged roles without building separate versions. One example was built in 1947 and underwent successful flight testing. Later the "B-10" was flown with single ShKAS machine guns in the nose and tail positions.
Bratukhin B-11 - To provide data for comparison with Yakovlev and Mil helicopters two examples of the "B-11" were authorized and underwent flight testing to measure their performance from April 1948. Single-engined flight, auto-rotation and a marked reduction in vibration were all demonstrated. Problems identified included; a persistent hydraulic leak and rotor stalling due to lack of lift from the fixed wing at high speeds. Many modifications were proposed before the first prototype was destroyed, and the pilots killed, after the right hand rotor shed a blade in flight. A general disillusionment with helicopters in general and superior handling and performance from single rotor designs led to termination of the twin lateral rotor Bratukhin helicopters.
Bratukhin AK - Ten AK (Artilleriskii Korrektirovshchik – artillery correction) production G-3 helicopters ordered but manufacture and/or delivery is uncertain.
Bratukhin VNP (Vozdushnii Nabludatyelnii Punkt - aerial observation point) - Alternative designation for "B-10".

The name refers to the seeds of the sycamore tree, Acer pseudoplatanus, which fall with a rotating motion. It has the distinction of being the first British helicopter to receive a certificate of airworthiness, as well as being the first British-designed helicopter to be introduced by and to serve with the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Typically capable of seating up to three passengers, the type was often used as a transport for both passengers and cargo alike. In RAF service, the Sycamore was normally used in the search and rescue and casualty evacuation roles. The type proved the value of rotorcraft to easily traverse inhospitable or otherwise inaccessible terrain; the Sycamore made valuable contributions to British military activities during the Malayan Emergency, the Cyprus Emergency, and the Aden Emergency, in addition to other operations.

In addition to its British military service, various models of the Sycamore were produced and operated by a number of users, including overseas military operations and civil customers. Civilian operations typically involved transportation, mountain rescue, and aerial survey work. In 1959, production of the Sycamore ended after 180 rotorcraft had been completed.

The Bristol Sycamore was one of the first production helicopters to be developed. Each Sycamore was manufactured with all of the necessary fixed fittings to enable it to be quickly adapted for any of six major roles: search and rescue, air ambulance, passenger transport, freight transport, aerial crane and dual instruction; it was also used for other specialised roles. The Sycamore seated four-to-five occupants, depending on the model; it was usually fitted with three folding canvas seats as well as a single rotating seat besides the pilot. In addition to the passenger cabin, it had a separate luggage compartment.

A specialised air ambulance model of the Sycamore was developed during the early 1950s. In this configuration, up to two patients were carried inside the cabin on stretchers stacked one above the other; this was different to the usual arrangement of the era of using externally-mounted "pods" for carrying patients. To provide the extra width necessary in the cabin, detachable Perspex blisters were fitted on each side of the cabin. The stretcher racks could be folded into the sides of the cabin, providing room for up to three sitting casualties instead; an electrical supply outlet was available for connecting electric blankets. Next to the pilot was a swivelling seat for a medical attendant.

The RAAF operated 2 Sycamores, (A91-1 and A91-2), and the RAN operated 13 Sycamores. Ansett-ANA also operated a Sycamore in crop spraying operations.

For more details of the development, deign, operational history and variants, click here.

The KB-2 Freedom Machine is an autogyro designed by Ken Brock based on the designs of the Bensen B-8.

Ken Brock was an early innovator in homebuilt gyrocopters starting with his first ride in 1957. Brock set to work on building and marketing a series of homebuilt gyroplanes with the KB-1 and later the KB-2.

Ken Brock used his KB-2 design for years in airshow acts and completed several world records. In 1971 he completed the first coast-to-coast autogyro flight from Long Beach, California to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Variants

KB-2
Powered variant
KB-2G
Variant with the same frame and rotor head as a KB-2. The "glider" is a two-seat gyroplane designed to be towed by car. The aircraft with the same frame and rotor assembly can be converted to a powered gyroplane.

It was formerly produced by Safari Helicopter (formerly known as Canadian Home Rotors) of Ear Falls, Ontario.

The design is reminiscent of a small-scale Bell 47 helicopter. In fact, the helicopter was originally called the Baby Belle, but Bell Helicopters objected and the name was changed to Safari.

The Safari is a two-seat light helicopter with a bubble canopy, a two-bladed main rotor and a skid landing gear. The aircraft structure consists predominantly of welded 4130 chromoly steel tubing. The kit provides the main and tail rotors, rotor hubs, transmission, engine, cockpit and tailboom completed. Builder construction is largely assembly.

Engine options over time have included the 160 hp (119 kW) Lycoming O-320-B2B, 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360-C2C, the 160 hp (119 kW) Superior XP320 and the 180 hp (134 kW) XP360 engines.

Production of the Xenon 2 has ended and only the Celier Xenon 4 model remained in production is 2017.

The Xenon 4 is a development of the Celier Xenon 2 and Celier Xenon 3, with a newly designed fuselage and longer tailboom. It features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit, with some models offering a third seat. It has tricycle landing gear and a modified four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke 135 hp (101 kW) turbocharged Rotax 912 engine in pusher configuration.

The fuselage is a monocoque made from carbon fiber reinforced polymer and features a cabin internal width of 130 cm (51 in). The two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 8.8 m (28.9 ft) and a chord of 20 cm (7.9 in). The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 295 kg (650 lb) and a maximum gross weight of 560 kg (1,235 lb), giving a useful load of 265 kg (584 lb). With full fuel of 85 litres (19 imp gal; 22 US gal) the payload for the pilot, passengers and baggage is 205 kg (452 lb).

Variants

Xenon 4 Sport

Entry level civil model with two seats in side-by-side configuration.[3]

Xenon 4 XL

Mid level civil model with three seats in 1-2 configuration.[2]

Xenon 4 Executive

Top level civil model with three seats in 1-2 configuration.[4]

Xenon 4 Geo

Civil model equipped for the land survey and aerial photography roles, intended for the construction, mining and survey industries.[5]

C-22

Military model for medevac and other military roles; also referred to as the C-44.[6]

C-22 VIP

Civil model for VIP transport.

Specifications below are for the Xenon 4 Executive variant.

It was the first helicopter to land on the summit of Pike's Peak and the last piston-engined helicopter to set the helicopter altitude record. The CH-1 had a single, two-bladed main rotor, and a front-mounted reciprocating engine which gave the aircraft a stable center of gravity (CG). Its semi-monocoque airframe greatly resembles its light airplane siblings built by Cessna. The CH-1 was named Skyhook for the civil market, similar to the marketing names used in the Cessna single engine airplane line, such as Skyhawk, Skylane and Skywagon. The United States Army designated the CH-1C as the YH-41 Seneca. While the CH-1 achieved several helicopter firsts and set a world record, it never became a commercial or military success.

The aircraft incorporated a unique L-section hinges to attach the main rotor blades to the hub in place of more conventional pitch change bearings.

The CH-1 external design was created by Richard Ten Eyck, an industrial designer for Cessna. It was a low profile streamlined aircraft-style body, featuring the engine in front and cabin seating behind the powerplant. The forward engine location provided "ease of access,...efficient cooling, and frees the center of gravity behind the cockpit for use in disposable load," but also presented a problem for how to vent the exhaust which would prove to be a problem throughout the aircraft's life. Additionally, the tail boom size, resulting from the airplane-style fuselage, created aerodynamic problems in hover and forward flight that would have to be solved by later aerodynamic structural changes.

The CH-1 established many firsts. The CH-1A was the first helicopter to land on Pikes Peak, at an altitude of 14,110 feet (4,300 m) on 15 September 1955,[2] it had a higher cruise speed than comparable machines, and a CH-1B, modified with an FSO-526-2X engine, set an official FAI world altitude record for helicopters of 29,777 feet[note 1] on December 28, 1957, while being piloted by Army Captain James E. Bowman. The previous record had been set by a turbine powered Aérospatiale Alouette II and was later broken by another Alouette II, but the record set by the CH-1B remains the highest altitude ever achieved by a piston-powered helicopter. The CH-1C was the first helicopter to receive IFR certification by the FAA.

Production was ended in December 1962. The company indicated that this was due to the civil aviation market not being ready for this type of aircraft, although CH-1 owner Rex Trailer claims that it was due to catastrophic transmission failures.

For details of the nine variants, click here.

The Changhe Z-10 (Chinese: 直-10; pinyin: Zhí-Shí; lit. 'helicopter-10') is a Chinese medium-weight, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter built by the Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Ground Force. Designed by 602nd Aircraft Design Institute of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Kamov Design Bureau, the aircraft is intended primarily for anti-tank warfare missions with secondary air-to-air combat capability.

The plan to develop a medium-weight helicopter program was initiated in 1994 with the attack helicopter program formally beginning in 1998. The preliminary design of the aircraft was provided by Kamov, while prototyping was conducted by the 602nd Aircraft Design Institute of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The Z-10 first flew on 29 April 2003 and entered Chinese Army Aviation service in 2009.

Nicknames of characters in the Chinese classic novel Water Margin have been used to name Z-10 and its light-weight counterpart, the Harbin Z-19 by Chinese Army Aviation Corps; Z-10 is called Fierce Thunderbolt (Pi Li Huo, 霹雳火), the nickname of Qin Ming, while Z-19 is called Black Whirlwind (Hei Xuan Feng, 黑旋风), the nickname of Li Kui.

For details of development an history, design, operational history and 8 variants, click here.

The Composite Helicopters International KC 518 Adventourer is a composite fuselage, 5-6 place turbine kit helicopter.

The KC 518 is a composite fuselage helicopter kit for amateur construction. The airframe uses a carbon fiber and kevlar composite fuselage with a shrouded tail rotor. An auxiliary fuel system can be installed.

Variants
Other versions with the same fuselage are

KC630 with Rolls-Royce RR300 engine in 2017 (priced at US$970,000),

KC640 with the RR250 in 2018, and

KC650 with the Honeywell LTS101, expected to be certified by 2019.

The rights to the KC630 were acquired by Innova Helicopters in 2017.

The DF Helicopters DF334 is a two-seat, single-engine light utility helicopter in development by Dragon Fly Helicopters in Northern Italy. The DF 334 is a development of the Dragon Fly 333, developed by archaeologists and filmmakers Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni in the 1980s. The DF334 has a larger, full composite cabin, a Rotax 914 4-stroke turbocharged engine, a governor fuel control, and an advanced Electronic Flight Instrument System. The helicopter is intended for both amateur and professional pilots.

At the beginning of 2024, DF Helicopters was acquired by SD Aviation Srl, along with all licensing rights. The current models, identified as DF334, and their unmanned versions equipped with original software, are now produced by SD Aviation Srl in Mornago, VA, Italy.

The Doman LZ-5 was a utility helicopter developed in the United States in the early 1950s by Doman Helicopters Inc. of Danbury, Connecticut. Despite the procurement of international manufacturing agreements, no series production of the aircraft ever occurred, and only three prototypes were built. Two of these were purchased by the United States Army as the YH-31, but eventually becoming VH-31.

Like the preceding LZ-1 through LZ-4, the LZ-5 utilized designer Glidden Doman's unorthodox gimbaled rotor head system, which featured the elimination of rotor hinges and dampers and included blades of soft-in-plane dynamic design. The servo control system was entirely contained within the rotor head, with no external oil tanks or plumbing. The tail rotor was also hingeless and free floating to eliminate stresses in rapid tail rotor turns. In other ways, it had a conventional helicopter main rotor and tail rotor configuration. The pilot and co-pilot were seated over the engine, which was in the nose, and a six-passenger compartment was located behind them. The engine was cooled by exhaust ejectors, producing an energy saving that increased payload by 800 pounds. The aircraft featured wheeled quadricycle undercarriage, the main units of which carried dual wheels.

The first prototype (registration N13458) flew on 27 April 1953, and by the end of 1955, two machines had been delivered to the Army (52-5779 and 52-5780). Eventually, the Army concluded that they had no requirement for an additional piston-powered helicopter model in this size category, and no further order was placed. After extensive flight testing and pilot training by the Army, one of the prototypes was taken over by the Navy for a helicopter flight research program at the Patuxent River Naval Air Test Center. Later that aircraft was re-purchased by the Doman company and used in its commercial sales efforts.

Doman continued with development, building another LZ-5 aircraft in a joint venture with Fleet in Canada. The LZ-5 helicopters were simultaneously Type Certificated in the U.S. and Canada in 1954. The third helicopter flew extensively in Canada under Canadian registration CF-IBG and in the United States, France, and Italy under U.S. registration N812. It flew in the Paris Air Show in 1960. This aircraft was also modified with the installation of full blind flight instrumentation, which was demonstrated extensively in the effort to sell it as a trainer. The aircraft thus equipped was advertised as the D-10. The planned production version would have been modified with a turbo-charged engine and designated as the D-10B. Doman sold production rights for military versions to Hiller and for the Italian market to Ambrosini.

Ultimately, none of these plans were to eventuate, and the LZ-5 never entered production.

Variants

LZ-5 (3 built)
YH-31 - LZ-5 for military evaluation, Army designated VH-31 (2 built)
LZ-5-2 - civil version, intended as prototype for production as D-10A (1 built)
D-10B - Lycoming O-720 turbocharged engine; (proposed production version of LZ-5)

The DTA J-RO (transl. gyro) is a French autogyro designed and produced by DTA sarl of Montélimar. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The J-RO was designed to combine the advantages of an ultralight trike with an autogyro. As such it is a "Cabriolet" (convertible) design whereby the gull-winged doors are removable to allow open air flight in the summertime and an enclosed cockpit for cooler weather. The doors are a factory option and may be purchased and installed later.

The design features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in side-by-side configuration enclosed or open cockpit with a windshield, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a four-cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS or turbocharged 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914 engine in pusher configuration. It has a Kevlar belt-driven pre-rotator for the main rotor.

The aircraft fuselage is made from carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Its two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 8.60 m (28.2 ft) and a chord of 21.3 cm (8.4 in). The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 282 kg (622 lb) and a gross weight of 560 kg (1,235 lb), giving a useful load of 278 kg (613 lb). With full fuel of 68 litres (15 imp gal; 18 US gal) the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage is 229 kg (505 lb).

In noise testing for acceptance in Switzerland the design produced 62.4 dB. The Swiss testing requires the design produce no more than a maximum of 65 dB for this class of aircraft.

The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly-aircraft or as a kit for amateur construction.

The H3 was designed for the flight training, utility and personal-use roles. It was designed to comply with the European Class 6 microlight helicopter rules, in particular the French Class 6 Microlight Category, at a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). It features a single main rotor and tail rotor, a two-seats-in side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit with a bubble canopy, skid landing gear and a four-cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS engine, a Dynali-developed fuel-injected 110 hp (82 kW) conversion Rotax 912ULS-1 engine or a 115 hp (86 kW) turbocharged Rotax 914 powerplant.

The aircraft's gross weight varies from 450 kg (992 lb) for the microlight category, with heavier weights available depending on installed power in other national categories, such as light-sport aircraft. With the Rotax 912ULS engine, the gross weight is 500 kg (1,102 lb), 550 kg (1,213 lb) with the Rotax 912ULS-1 and 600 kg (1,323 lb) with the Rotax 914.

The aircraft fuselage frame is made from welded stainless steel tubing. Its two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 7.14 m (23.4 ft) and a chord of 18.5 cm (7.3 in). With the Rotax 914 engine the aircraft has a typical empty weight of 290 kg (639 lb) and a gross weight of 600 kg (1,323 lb), giving a useful load of 310 kg (683 lb). With full fuel of 60 litres (13 imp gal; 16 US gal) the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage is 267 kg (589 lb).

The EDM Aerotec CoAX 2D/2R is a series of German coaxial main rotor helicopters designed and produced by EDM Aerotec of Geisleden. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The CoAX 2D/2R was originally known as the FLIP 2 (Fly In Perfection) and is a derivative of the FLIP 1, a conventional helicopter with a main and tail rotor.

The CoAX 2D/2R was designed to comply with the European Class 6 microlight helicopter rules, including the category's maximum takeoff weight of 450 kg (992 lb). Design testing commenced in 2012.

The design features dual coaxial main rotors, a two-seats-in side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit and skid landing gear with ground handling wheels. The two variants use different power plants. 

The aircraft fuselage is made from composites. Its dual composite two-bladed main rotors have a diameter of 6.50 m (21.3 ft). The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 283 kg (624 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb), giving a useful load of 167 kg (368 lb). With full fuel of 48 litres (11 imp gal; 13 US gal) the payload for the pilot, passengers and baggage is 132 kg (291 lb).

Variants

CoAX 2D (Specifications below)
Current production version in 2017, powered by a six-cylinder, liquid-cooled, four stroke 135 hp (101 kW) D-Motor LF39 engine.
CoAX 2R
Version powered by a four-cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS engine. No longer advertised as available in 2014.