Photo Caption
A ground test rig for the XH-17 was built by Kellett. Kellett had financial problems in 1948 and sold the rig and rights to Hughes. It was then transported from Upper Darby, PA to Culver City, CA.
The XH-17 incorporated components from other aircraft. The most unusual was the two-seat cockpit which came from a WWII Waco CG-15 transport glider. Landing gears from a B-25 and C-54 were used. The tail rotor came from a Sikorsky H-19.
XH-17 made its first flight at Culver City October 23, 1952.
The XH-17's two-bladed main rotor system with a diameter of 134 feet, which is still the world largest rotor system. It was capable of flying at a gross weight of more than 50,000 pounds.
The propulsion system consists of two General Electric J35 turbojet engines. Bleed air from the turbojet is sent up through the rotor hub. The blades were hollow and the compressed air passes through the blades to tip jets where fuel was injected to provide additional thrust at the rotor tip. In flight the main rotor turns at 88 rpm.
The high fuel consumption of the machine limited its range to only 40 miles. This limited its usefulness in the field. It was too large to be transported to a distance work site.
Test flights stopped in December 1955 when the rotor blades reached their design life.
