US Kellet XR8 Helicopter

By Crusader1307

While many Nations (Allied and Axis), experimented with various early designs of Gyrodynes, few ''true'' Helicopters were actually developed (or used). The US Military too, experimented with several design Models. One, was The Kellet XR-8. The prototype was first flown in 1944. A Twin Rotor System, The XR-8 was a (2) Man Craft. Both produced prototypes were very expensive for The Era, costing $1 Million (USD). Although cost prohibitive, The US Military saw an advantage with The XR-8 (especially in The Pacific Theater of World War II). 22-feet in length, The XR-8 had Twin, 36-foot radius Rotor Blades. The prototypes were powered by a single Franklin 405, 6 cylinder Piston Engine. Capable of achieving 100-mph (in test runs) and reached 10,000-feet (operational ceiling). With The War winding down, The XR-8 Project was shelved until 1946 – when it was again tested. By this time, competition (from Sikorsky Aircraft) – made the expensive XR-8 quickly obsolete.