Hummingbird sets helo record
The A160T Hummingbird, an unmanned helicopter from Boeing, recently set a flight endurance record when it stayed aloft for 12.1 hr.
It was carrying a 500-lb
payload at 5,000 ft over California,
and landed with 40% of its full
fuel load still onboard.
The 35-ft-long Hummingbird
has a 36-ft-diameter rotor and can
climb to 30,000 ft, 10,000 ft higher
than conventional helicopters can
fly. It has a range of 2,500 miles
and top speed of 140 knots. The helo is designed
to carry a 300-lb payload, but has been flight tested
with a 1,000-lb load. And according to Boeing, it
can fly farther, hover longer (up to 20 hr), and operate
more quietly than any other helicopter. Key to
its performance are its rotors. The pilot who flies it
remotely from a ground station, can vary the rpms
to improve efficiency. The military is interested in
the aircraft as a surveillance platform.
The
Hummingbird
helicopter from
Boeing Co. first
flew in 2002, but
recently set a
world’s record
by being the
first helicopter,
manned or
unmanned, to
stay aloft for
12.1 hr. |