416.82 km per hour!
The world speed record among helicopters, broken by the Sikorsky X2, was set on August 11, 1986 at the Westland Lynx by the 800 G-LYNX. The previous achievement was equal to 400, 86 km / h.
The new record set by X2 in West Palm Beach (Florida, USA) is intermediate. According to Sikorsky, the X2 simply "surpassed" the G-LYNX record. An achievement worthy of the X2's 24 years of anticipation and technological excellence is slated for completion before the end of 2010.
The X2 was built with a top speed of 463 km / h in mind.
The full name of the model - X2 Technology demonstrator - underlines its function as a platform for testing and demonstrating Sikorsky technologies. The design is constantly being modified; in particular, the world speed record was broken by replacing the tail section of the helicopter with a new one. The X2 has two coaxial propellers with short blades rotating in opposite directions and has a number of advantages, in addition to a high maximum speed, namely, good hovering, easy control at low speeds, and a fast acceleration.
The company has been working on the X2 project since 2005.
“The X2's vibration levels and flight behavior meet or exceed our expectations,” said Jim Kadgis of Sikorsky's Advanced Programs. “We are pleased to announce that all X2 systems are working towards our goal of reaching 250 knots (463 km / h) this year.”
