The Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter prototype suffered an hard belly landing while undergoing flight testing from Sikorsky's Develop...
The Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter prototype suffered an hard belly landing while undergoing flight testing from Sikorsky's Development Flight Center in Palm Beach County, Florida on Wednesday morning.
The incident happened while the S-97 was hovering with its landing gear retracted, according to Lockheed Martin spokesperson.
The prototype sustained no major structural damages and the two on board pilots were also not injured.
The S-97 raider is being developed as a fast light weight tactical helicopter capable of carrying six troops and external weapons, that combine maneuverability, hover ability, range, speed, endurance and survivability.
It features an coaxial counter rotating main rotor system along with a clutched pusher propeller in the aft for forward thrust. The configuration will enable Raider to reach cruise speeds up to 240 knots (276 mph), twice that of conventional helicopters.
Flight testing commenced in 2015, and Sikorsky has built two Raider prototypes. It is powered by a single General Electric YT706 turboshaft engine rated at 2,600 shp (1,900 kW).
The prototype has a gross weight of 11,550 lb (5200 kg) and have a range greater than 600 km.
