Platt-Le Page XR-1

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Platt-Le Page XR-1
Type	Experimental Helicopter
Manufacturer	Platt-Le Page Aircraft Company
Maiden flight	1941
Primary user	United States Army Air Force
Number built	2

The Platt-Le Page XR-1 was an early American twin-rotor helicopter built by the Platt-Le Page Aircraft Company of Eddystone, Pennsylvania. They were the first helicopters tested by the United States Army Air Force.

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Specifications (XR-1A) 6 References 7 See also

[edit] Design and development

Platt-Le Page were contracted in 1941 to supply two prototype helicopters to the United States Army Air Force designated XR-1. The company had licensed the patented Focke-Wulf Fw 61 transverse twin-rotor design prior to the outbreak of war.^[1] The first prototype (Serial Number 41-1) first flew on the May 12, 1941, it had a fuselage with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage and a conventional tail unit. It had two counter-rotating rotors mounted on faired outriggers (stub-wings) on each side of the fuselage. The rotors were powered by a 440hp (328kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985-21 engine mounted in the fuselage. The second prototype was designated XR-1A (Serial Number 42-6581) and had increased glazing around the two-seat cockpit and a 450hp (336kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 engine.

[edit] Operational history

The two prototypes were accepted by the Army Air Force and were used for test and evaluation but no further orders were placed.

[edit] Variants

XR-1

First prototype

XR-1A

Second prototype with increased cockpit glazing and more powerful engine.

[edit] Operators

•  United States

[edit] Specifications (XR-1A)

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Main rotor diameter: 2× 31 ft 6 in (9.6 m)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1, 336 hp (450 kW)

Performance

[edit] References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 

[edit] See also

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v • d • e USAAC/USAAF/USAF/Joint Service Helicopter designations 1941- USAAC/USAAF/USAF 1941-Present; US Army 1948-1956, 1962-; US Navy 1962- Prefix R- used from 1941-1948, H- from 1948-1962, H- and a mission prefix 1962-present R-1 • R-2 • R-3 • R-4 • R-5/H-5 • R-6/H-6 • R-7 • R-8 • R-9/H-9 • R-10/H-10 • R-11/H-11 • R-12/H-12 • R-13/H-13/OH-13 • R-14 • H-15 • R-16/H-16 • H-17 • H-18 • H-19/UH-19 • H-20 • H-21/CH-21 • H-22 • H-23/OH-23 • H-24 • H-25/UH-25 • H-26 • H-27 • H-28 • H-29 • H-30 • H-31 • H-32 • H-33 • H-34/CH-34 • H-35 • (H-36 not assigned) • H-37/CH-37 • (H-38 not assigned) • XH-39 • H-40 • H-41 • H-42 • H-43/HH-43 • (H-44 and H-45 not assigned) • CH-46/HH-46 • CH-47 • UH-48 • H-49 • QH-50 • XH-51 • HH-52 • CH-53/HH-53/MH-53 • CH-54 • TH-55 • AH-56 • TH-57 • OH-58 • XH-59 • UH-60/SH-60/HH-60 • YUH-61 • XCH-62 • YAH-63 • AH-64 • HH-65 • RAH-66 • TH-67 • MH-68 • ARH-70 • VH-71 • UH-72 Redesignations created starting in 1962 that reused old USAAC or USAAF numbers AH-1/UH-1 • SH-2 • SH-3/CH-3/HH-3 • OH-4 • OH-5 • OH-6/AH-6/MH-6