Sikorsky [UTX] is starting bladed ground testing for the S-97 Raider program, the company said on Wednesday.
The Raider is an armed reconnaissance rotorcraft designed to outmatch conventional military helicopters in maneuverability, payload, speed, range, and high/hot environmental conditions, the company said.
Photo: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
The ground runs testing phase will involve the Raider team testing the first of two prototypes as a complete system. They will perform initial ground tests with the helicopter tied down while focusing on verifying correct operation of the propulsion system, drive train, rotor control system, and pilot-vehicle interface.
Sikorsky previously completed software qualification testing, component fatigue testing, and gearbox testing for the prototype, the company said.
The program team at the company’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., is also preparing to begin the final assembly of the second prototype S-97.
“Testing all of the aircraft’s systems together, for the first time, marks significant progress in the development of this next generation helicopter and moves the program closer to first flight,” Mark Hammond, S-97 Raider Program Manager, said in a statement.
The company launched the S-97 Raider program in October 2010, hoping to mature the X2 rotorcraft design while offering a helicopter to meet U.S. Army reconnaissance and special operations needs. The first prototype was unveiled in October (Defense Daily, Oct. 2).
The S-97 “features next-generation technologies in a multi-mission configuration, capable of carrying six troops and external weapons,” Sikorsky said. It has a cruise speed of up to 220 knots (252 mph).
The S-97 demonstrator program is fully industry-funded.