AMP 48007 American Helicopter XH-26 Jet Jeep

The American Helicopter XH-26 Jet Jeep was an experimental American light multipurpose helicopter of the post-war period. The prototype flight took place in January 1952. However, the machine never entered mass production, and only 5 prototype units were made. The propulsion was provided by two American Helicopter XPJ49-AH-3 pulse engines with a thrust of 0.2 kN each. The hull length of this machine was 3.73 meters and the main rotor diameter was 8.23 meters. The maximum take-off weight oscillated around 320 kilograms, and the maximum speed did not exceed 140 km / h.

The American Helicopter XH-26 Jet Jeep was developed for the American armed forces, which in the early 1950s sought to obtain a light, multi-purpose helicopter that would perform observation and transport tasks in a short distance from the front line. The emphasis was on the fastest possible start of the helicopter and the rate of climb. Ultimately, the XH-26 Jet Jeep turned out to be a small machine, very compact and light in terms of structure. At the same time, however, the use of pulse motors on the rotor blades made the machine very noisy and was characterized by considerable instability in horizontal flight. For these reasons, the machine did not enter production.