Heavy lift helicopter concept

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

OK, thought I'd try and make another helicopter since my little Ka-65 attack chopper has proven to be quite popular as a download. I've always loved the big choppers, so I thought my next attempt should be a heavy guy. It was suggested that it should perhaps be a compound helo (part chopper, part plane) since a lot of new stuff is heading that way. Here's a quick work up based on big stuff like the Mi-26 chopper, one version contra-rotating and the other with compound elements.

Feel free to come up with suggestions and ideas on how to proceed, this is just a 10 minute model to test a look and I can quite happily go in a completely different direction if it sounds cool. I picked this style since it has easy loading/unloading at the rear and looks quite sleek, but it could equally go very wide & squat, or perhaps skeletal like the Skycrane and carry specific plug-in modules under the rear section. What do you guys think? Worth pursuing?


heavy lift 0 by axeman3d, on Flickr

heavy lift 2 by axeman3d, on Flickr

heavy lift 1 by axeman3d, on Flickr

heavy lift 3 by axeman3d, on Flickr

heavy lift 4 by axeman3d, on Flickr

heavy lift 5 by axeman3d, on Flickr

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

OK, how about an enlarged Chinook style heavy lift helo? This is 42 meters long instead of the Chinooks 30m.


superchinook 2 by axeman3d, on Flickr

superchinook 1 by axeman3d, on Flickr

[Deathstalker]

I like the counter rotor model. Only thing I would do is move the engines off the wings and mount them on top on either side of the fuselage.

[Marko Dash]

might not be enough clearance between fuselage and bottom rotor for the engine. maybe have the jets be internal with intakes on the side and exhaust coming out back near the tail. helps hide the IR heat as well.

for something different, maybe transverse or intermeshing rotors?

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

Transerse rotors would make it a little different, maybe a little more Russian or 50's looking than currently. I worry that it would make the footprint of the helicopter a lot larger though.

[Starglider]

Transerse rotors would make it a little different, maybe a little more Russian or 50's looking than currently. I worry that it would make the footprint of the helicopter a lot larger though.

That layout would make it more efficient though, because less of the downwash would hit the fuselage. That fat flat tail on the first version doesn't look like a good idea for that reason (lift lost to downwash drag).

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

The whale tale is lifted almost directly from a Boeing concept for just such a heavy lift vehicle, I think they need the lift and control for compound helos. If I add the extra engines anyway.