Sud-Ouest SO1221 Djinn is a lightweight two-seat helicopter with a jet (compressor) rotor drive. Designed and manufactured by the French company Sud-Ouest (later Sud Aviation) from 1954 to the mid-1960s. The only currently in production jet helicopter.
| SO 1221 Djinn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type of | light helicopter |
| Developer | Sud ouest |
| Manufacturer | Sud ouest Sud Aviation |
| The first flight | January 2, 1953 (SO 1220) December 16, 1953 (SO 1221) |
| Start of operation | 1958 |
| Status | operated by individual instances |
| Operators | Army of France German Army |
| Years of production | 1954 - Mid 1960s |
| Units produced | 178 |
Content
- 1 Helicopter Design
- 2 Production and use
- 3 Flight performance
- 4 References
Helicopter Design
To drive the rotor, a reactive, namely compressor, drive circuit was used. The power plant of the helicopter was a Turbomeca Palouste turbocharger - compressed air from the latter was supplied to the rotor blades and ejected from the nozzles at the tips of the blades. Such a scheme made it possible to avoid reactive momentum from the rotor - which, in turn, eliminated the need for a tail rotor, transmission of the rotor and in general - radically simplified the design of the helicopter.
The helicopter fuselage was made in the form of a lightweight construction with a truss tail boom. The power plant was located directly behind the cockpit. At the end of the tail boom was a simple horizontal and vertical tail.
Production and Application
The prototype of the helicopter made its first flight in December 1953. The French army ordered 22 machines for evaluation tests. Three vehicles were purchased by the U.S. Army for the same purpose and were designated YHO-1. In total, the French army acquired 100 helicopters. They were used for reconnaissance, communications, surveillance, and pilot training. Six cars were acquired by the army of Germany.
In total, by the end of production in the mid-sixties, 178 helicopters were produced. Some of them were sold to civilian customers and used for aviation chemical work in agriculture.
Like other rotor-propelled helicopters, along with the advantages of this type of machine, the Djinn had all its inherent disadvantages, the main of which were high fuel consumption and relatively low flight speed.
Performance Specifications
Crew: 2
Length: 5.30 m
Rotor Diameter: 11m
Empty weight: 360 kg.
Maximum takeoff weight: 800 kg.
Powerplant: 1 Turbomeca Palouste IV turbocharger, power 179 kW (240 hp)
Maximum speed: 130 km / h.
Flight Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes.