avia.wikisort.org - Helicopter

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 Type of aircraft
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)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Gyrodyne RON
• Hiller ROE

References

• Lambermont, Paul Marcel (1958). Helicopters and Autogyros of the World.

External links

• Bensen Aircraft Foundation
• Bensen Aircraft at Vortechonline.com

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