Bensen Mid-Jet
The Bensen Mid-Jet (a pun on "Midget jet") was a small helicopter developed by Igor Bensen in the United States in the early 1950s in the hope of attracting the interest of the United States Navy. It was a single-seat, open framework machine based on the B-5 rotor kite with small, gasoline- or fuel oil-burning ramjets mounted as tipjets on the rotor blades.[1] Tests carried out in 1954 showed it to be able to lift four times its own weight and cruise at 75 mph (120 km/h).
| Mid-Jet | |
|---|---|
| Role | Experimental helicopter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Bensen Aircraft |
| Designer | Igor Bensen |
| First flight | 1953 |
| Number built | 1 |
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
- Empty weight: 100 lb (45 kg)
- Gross weight: 500 lb (227 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × ramjets , equivalent to 20 hp (15 kW) each
- Main rotor diameter: 15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
- Main rotor area: 176 sq ft (16.4 m2)
Performance
- Cruise speed: 75 mph (120 km/h, 65 kn)
References
- Bensen Aircraft Foundation
- Lambermont, Paul Marcel (1958). Helicopters and Autogyros of the World.
- Bensen Aircraft at Vortechonline.com
- "Helicopter With Five Pound Ramjet Engines to Fly 80 Miles Per Hour". Popular Mechanics. June 1954. p. 138. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
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