Hiller ROE Rotorcycle
| Hiller ROE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Hiller rotorcycle YROE-1, made by Hiller Helicopter in nearby Palo Alto, California, hovers in front of the Ames Hangar on 6 November 1963 | |
| Role | ultralight helicopter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Hiller Aircraft Saunders-Roe |
| First flight | November 1956 |
| Introduction | 1957 |
| Retired | 1961 |
| Primary user | United States Marine Corps |
| Number built | 12 |
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The Hiller ROE Rotorcycle was a single seat ultralight helicopter designed in 1953 for a military requirement.[1] A total of 12 were produced for the United States Marine Corps. And in 1954, the Hiller Helicopters was selected by the US Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics to build this design of a one man, foldable, self-rescue and observation helicopter.[2] It featured a two blade rotor system. Its original empty weight was 290 lb (132 kg).[3]
Development
The helicopter folded up and could be carried on a sled-like carrier by two people or could be air-dropped to pilots trapped behind enemy lines. The Marines did not accept the YROE due to its low performance, vulnerability to small-arms fire and the lack of visual references on the structure. This problem could cause the pilot to experience spatial disorientation at all but very low altitudes.[1] The YROE or ROE never saw military service.[4]
In 1954 the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics selected Hiller to build their proposed design of a one-man helicopter. The XROE Rotocycle completed flight testing in mid-1957.[5]
It was demonstrated at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia for military and other government officials in early April 1958.[6]
Production was by Saunders-Roe who made five for the US Marine Corps and five for Helicop-Air of Paris.[7]
A Porsche engine of 62 hp developed for the YROE was trialled by 1961.[8]
Variants
- XROE-1
- 2 prototypes built as Model 1033 at the Hiller Helicopter Plant in Palo Alto, California [4]
- The first flight in November 1956[9]
- YROE-1
- 5 test versions built by British Saunders-Roe company
One donated to the Smithsonian Institution after completion of its testing in 1961[9] - ROE-1
- 5 production built by Saunders-Roe (built ten production models, including the five YROE-1s)[9]
Specifications
Data from Smithsonian[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 pilot
- Length: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
- Rotor diameter: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
- Height: 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
- Empty weight: 309 lb (140 kg)
- Useful load: 270 lb (122 kg)[3] ()
- Loaded weight: 562 lb (255 kg)
- Powerplant: × Nelson H-59 piston engine, 40 hp[3] (30 kW), later Nelson YO-65-2 four-cylinder, two-cycle engine, 43 hp (32 kW) each
- *Fuel: 9.1 L (2.4 U.S. gal)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 70 mph[2]
- Cruise speed: 52 mph (84 km/h)
- Range: 166 mi (267 km) () with 170 lb (77 kg) pilot and 86 lb (39 kg) of fuel[2]
- Service ceiling: 9,200 ft () in ground effect[10]
- Rate of climb: 1,160 ft/min[2] (5,9 m/s)
Survivors
- XROE-1, on display at Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, California
- YROE-1, ser. no. 4021, on display at Hiller Aviation Museum
- YROE-1, on display at National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
- YROE-1, N4230U, ser. no. 4024, El Cajon, California[11]
- YROE-1, N777MV, ser. no. 4020, Minicopter Inc., Saginaw, Texas[12]
- YROE-1, third one in production on display at Evergreen Aviation Museum [13]
- XROE-1, repainted in blue, powered by a Rotax 503 and renamed "fantacopter", in working order at Bois-la-Pierre, France,[14]
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
References
- Notes
- 1 2 3 NASM: Hiller YROE-1 Rotorcycle
- 1 2 3 4 Hiller Museum: Rotocycle
- 1 2 3 Apostolo, p. 68
- 1 2 HELICÓPTEROS: THE SITE
- ↑ "Helicopters of the World: USA", Flight: 693, 15 May 1959
- ↑ "Rotorcycle on View Here", The Washington Post and Times Herald, Washington, D.C., Tuesday 1 April 1958, Volume 81, Number 117, page A8.
- ↑ "From All Quarters" (PDF), Flight: 610, 11 May 1961
- ↑ "VTOL International Survey", Flight: 638, 11 May 1961
- 1 2 3 NASM: YROE Long Description -- YROE-1 curatorial file, Aeronautics Division, National Air and Space Museum
- ↑ "Helicopters of the world", Flight: 728, 27 May 1960
- ↑ AirportData: N4230U
- ↑ AirportData: N777MV
- ↑ SkyControl: YROE-1
- ↑ HILLER XROE-1
- Bibliography
- Apostolo, Giorgio. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters. New York: Bonanza Books. 1984. ISBN 978-0-517-43935-7.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hiller YROE. |
- Hiller Aviation Museum: The First 100 Years of Aviation
- NASA: FLIGHT TESTS OF A ONE-MAN HELICOPTER AND A COMPARISON OF ITS HANDLING QUALITIES WITH THOSE OF LARGER VTOL AIRCRAFT
- Photo: XROE-1 at Hiller Aviation Museum
- Photo: YROE-1 (s/n 4021 at Hiller Aviation Museum