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Sikorsky S-97 Raider Ground Tests Today

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
The FVL (Future Vertical Lift) program is where all of this is headed - what DoD plans to buy after 2025...

Programs like FVL are a way for DoD to fund technology demonstrators and development. Sort of like UCAS for the Navy now. The companies aren't going to eat the bill for experimental planes that DoD wants to tinker with but may or may not actually field. It's a bit of a reach to say it "plans to buy" any of this. Right now the only RW programs I'm aware of that may actually lead to active airplanes in the field are AAS (which is at least mostly dead), CSAR-X for the AF and the new presidential helo, all of which will be filled with variants of operational models.
New-tech planes like this are very high risk contracts and with the example of the Plopter program's history on their minds, all the services are gunshy of those kinds of things. An operational Raider would be cool, yes. I'm not gonna hold my breath. Frankly, I'll be surprised if it ever gets beyond a technology demonstrator.
 

SynixMan

HKG Based Artificial Excrement Pilot
pilot
Contributor
It's certainly interesting to see money spent in the area of Rotary tech after we've spent 45 years with the mighty Hawk and it's variants.

Ultimately, I see the Army biting off on a "Better all around" evolution of the -60 vice something like the Raider, but maybe I'll be surprised. Regardless, everyone here will be well-retired before this hits the battalions/fleet.
 

busdriver

Well-Known Member
None
FVL both excites and depresses me. The last HH-60W should be showing up around 2029, which is when the Army is "planning" to field the first of these things (optimistic I think) and fat chance the Air Force will buy off on early adoption with a fleet of helos with an average age of 5 years old. If only the original CSAR-X had gone through, we'd be flying them now and on track to have an old enough fleet to actually need the FVL. Too bad, I think Rescue is one mission where this could be a huge benefit.
 

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
Just got back from a foreign sales delivery from the factory in West Palm Beach. On departure we saw the Raider way down at the west end of the airfield. When we asked about a look-see our escort said he had not even gotten to take a look at it yet. Maybe I'll have better luck on a subsequent delivery trip. Unfortunately photo policies there are very strict so I doubt I'll get any photos while there in WPB.
FYI: The 53K was out on the ramp near us and looked to be prepping for a ground run with its new rotors installed. I did get to fly a new Taiwanese UH-60M. That was fun, but it isn't very exciting in photos.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Has anyone (successfully) used a jet instead of a prop for this purpose?
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
Has anyone (successfully) used a jet instead of a prop for this purpose?
The pusher prop is driven by the engines via the main transmission. I think it can be feathered, but more importantly, I'm pretty sure it has a clutch which can be disengaged when you need it reduce its power draw to zero (like when autorotating).

A jet would require extra fuel lines, start mechanisms, etc. and probably cause a significant drop in specific fuel consumption.
 

Randy Daytona

Cold War Relic
pilot
Super Moderator
Looks like the Army is looking hard at replacing the Kiowa with the S-97.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...g-new-light-reconnaissance-helicopter-423008/

The light category would perform a similar role to the armed Kiowa Warrior, which is being retired under the army aviation restructure initiative (ARI), whereas the medium category will succeed the Sikorsky UH-60 and Boeing AH-64. The light attack/assault rotorcraft must at a minimum carry up to six heavily equipped troops over 229nm at 200kts, according to the 18 February request for information. It would be fielded in the 2030s.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
The S-97 is a rigid rotor system. The question is: how large can you make a rigid rotor? Until the new Bell Y/Z came out, the biggest rigid rotor I knew of was the Bell 412 (11,900 pounds, titanium hub). Anything larger than 20,000 pounds seems to require a traditional fully articulated system. The question of being able to scale up is important because the motherload of helicopter contracts - the eventual replacement of the H-60 for the Army. This competition appears to be between the Boeing / Sikorsky SB-1 Defiant (compound helicopter) and the Bell / Lockheed V-280 Valor (tiltrotor). Interesting that in the V-280, the engines do not rotate upwards like the V-22, only the rotors.

http://news.usni.org/2014/10/03/u-s...prototypes-next-generation-helicopter-program

http://defense-update.com/20140812_...the-army-future-helicopters.html#.VNTMFS7Y-lc


The V-280 configuration is a big improvement from the V-22. Having the engines stay horizontal will greatly help performance in dusty LZs--you won't have the rotors pumping dirt through the engines. It also allows for side doors and weaponry.

The navalization requirements demanded a lot of compromises in the V-22. Ideally the proprotors would have been 4-bladed and longer, but folding and LHD/LHA requirements demanded they be smaller. If not for the ship, the wingspan would've been longer, the cabin wider, and there'd have been a single, taller tail.

The compound helicopter is going to give better low-speed performance, but it will come with a penalty in top speed, range, and cruise altitude.

With the "Pacific Pivot" demanding greater range, I'd bet on the V-280 for medium lift. The Raider will be perfect for a scout...someday.
 

Randy Daytona

Cold War Relic
pilot
Super Moderator
S-97 Raider has its first flight with retracted gear.

http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/s-97-raider-speed-rising-it-flies-retracted-gear

raider-no-gear-sep-2016-apr.jpg
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
I got to goof around in the low-rent S-97 simulator Sykorski had at AUSA earlier this month. The transition from hover to fast forward flight seemed a bit awkward, but the (imaginary) control was pretty cool.
 
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