McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1947 · helicopter
The McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry was a tiny experimental helicopter that used ramjets mounted at the rotor blade tips to drive the rotor, eliminating the need for a tail rotor by negating main-rotor torque.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tiny open single-seat fuselage pod |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Ramjet-tip-driven rotor experimental helicopter
- No tail rotor — reaction jets at blade tips
- Tiny open single-seat fuselage pod
Extremely small helicopter, barely larger than a motorcycle, with a two-blade rotor driven by wingtip ramjets and an open pilot's seat perched on a skeletal fuselage frame.
Specifications
- The McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry has a length of 3.81 m (12 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 5.18 m (17 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 80 km/h (50 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Flown in 1947, Little Henry was a low-cost research vehicle intended to investigate tip-jet-driven rotor systems; while it flew successfully, the noisy and inefficient ramjets offered no practical advantage and the concept was not pursued further.
Variants
Two XH-20 prototypes were built; both were used for flight research only.
Where you'll see it
Confined to US Army/McDonnell company test flying; one example is preserved at the National Air and Space Museum.
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