McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry

XH-20 Little Henry
Role	Experimentalramjet-rotor poweredhelicopter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	McDonnell Aircraft
First flight	29 August 1947
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	2

TheMcDonnell XH-20 Little Henryis a 1940sAmericanexperimentallightweighthelicopterdesigned and built byMcDonnell Aircraft.

Development

TheMcDonnell Model 38was a lightweight experimental helicopter sponsored by the United States Army Air Force to test the concept of using smallramjetsat the tips of the rotor blades.As a functional helicopter it was a simple open-frame steel-tube construction.Allotted the military designationXH-20the first of two first flew on the 29 August 1947.

Although the XH-20 flew successfully the ramjets were noisy and burnt a large amount of fuel and plans to build a larger two-seat XH-29 were abandoned.

Variants

Data from:U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909

Model 38 XH-20 Little Henry

experimental lightweight helicopter, two built.

Model 79 XH-29 Big Henry

proposed two-seatramjet-powered development, canceled.

Operator

United States

• United States Air Force

Aircraft on display

XH-20 at the NMUSAF

• 46-689the first XH-20 is on display at theNational Museum of the United States Air Force

Specifications

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew:1
• Length:12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
• Height:6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
• Empty weight:290 lb (132 kg)
• Powerplant:2 × McDonnell Ramjets
• Main rotor diameter:20 ft (6.1 m)

Performance

• Maximum speed:50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter
• Hiller YH-32 Hornet
• Sud-Ouest Djinn

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States

References

Media related toMcDonnell XH-20at Wikimedia Commons