The High-Speed Helicopter
Helicopters are good for hauling cargo and rescuing mountaineers.
But if you need to cover a long distance fast, you'd be better
off taking a plane, as helicopters today struggle to top 180
m.p.h. (290 km/h). Sikorsky's X2 Technology helicopter aims
to annihilate that speed barrier. Unlike ordinary choppers,
which pair a single rotor on top with an antitorque tail rotor,
the X2 has two main rotors spinning in opposite directions
and an airplane-like propeller at the rear. This highly stable
setup should allow the X2 to cruise at a zippy 290 m.p.h.
(467 km/h) — about the same speed as some small turboprop
planes. Don't expect to see this real-life Airwolf hovering
above your house anytime soon, however: the chopper will be
tied up in tests for the next decade.
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