Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter,

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johnbr

2nd Lieutenant
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Jun 23, 2006
London Ontario Canada
Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter, 6-18-30. [One-half left front view from above of Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter (r/n 373N) on the ground on apron outside hangar; man standing at extreme left edge of frame
 
Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter Throttle Control, 3-26-30. [Close-up view. Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter Fuel Shut-Off and Engine Controls, 3-26-30.Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter, Fuselage - Side, 11-22-29.Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter, Blower Blades - Hub and Gears, 2-18-30.Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter Outboard Gear-Box Inst., 3-26-30.
 
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Curtiss Bleeker Helicopter on the ground, man holding tip of propeller in right background. Man seated in cockpit at controls is possibly Maitland Bleecker, the designer.
 
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Mark K. Bleecker,

I have seen rare newsreel footage of this aircraft. It shows the craft flying in a controlled manner outdoors. Most records of my great uncle's invention were distroyed in a fire. I believe this article to be technically uninformed.

Allan L. Bleecker,Maitland Bleecker and have a wealth of photos and written info documenting the development of this helicopter which substantiates that it flew and exhibited stability. I'd be glad for further contact to share some of what I have.

Technical data for Curtiss-Bleecker

Number of seats: 2, engine: 1 x Pratt and Whitney rated 420hp, rotor diameter: 14.42m, gross weight: 1500kg
 
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMbcq4f_v8U
The Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter was an American prototype rotary wing aircraft, introduced in 1926. The thrust of the aircraft was distributed from a central mounted engine through shafts to propellers mounted on each rotor blade.

Design and development
The Bleecker Helicopter was designed by Maitland B. Bleecker, a junior engineer from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The aircraft was constructed by Curtiss Wright for $250,000 over the course of four years at Garden City.[1]

The aircraft featured a rotary wing design with a single engine. Each rotor, painted silver and yellow, had an individual propeller for thrust and a trailing control surface called a "stabovator" to change pitch of the rotor. The aircraft was controlled by a stick that operated like a modern helicopter collective control. Yaw was controlled with a "Spin Vane" that used downwash from the rotor to pivot the aircraft with foot pedals.[1]

Operational history
Testing on the Bleecker Helicopter was stopped after the failure of a drive shaft on a test flight in 1929.[2] By 1933 the project was abandoned following vibrational issues in further tests.[3]

Specifications
Data from NASA

General characteristics

  • Capacity: 2
  • Wing area: 370 sq ft (34 m2 ) Area of rotor blades
  • Empty weight: 2,800 lb (1,270 kg)
  • Gross weight: 3,400 lb (1,542 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 30 US gallons (114 litres)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial piston, 420 hp (310 kW)
Performance

  • Maximum speed: 70 mph (113 km/h; 61 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
 
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