Sikorsky HEX Platform Now Seen Recently JF published an article talking about the progress of the Next Generation Civil Tilt Rotor. There are several tilt-rotor aircraft in service in both commercial and military applications but they all have one thing in common. The entire engine tilts to provide the transition from hover to cruise or vice versa. In the case of the upcoming NGCTR it is only the transmission that moves. There is another tilt rotor craft that is in development by Sikorsky called the HEX.
This is doing neither of the two specifically in fact it features a tilt wing instead. Renderings for the HEX were unveiled at Heli-Expo 2024. The first flight for the HEX is already planned for 2026. Brief figures surrounding its anticipated performance include a range greater than 500 nautical miles, unspecified high speed and an approximate 9,000-pound maximum gross weight. A 600 kW motor is currently being tested.
However HEX is only intended as a testbed and isn't expected to be an actual aircraft that will be certified for the purchasing public. Paul Lemmo, Sikorsky's President says: "We plan to apply learnings from HEX to both existing products and new aircraft in the future. -It will-"serve as a testbed for demonstrating autonomy and hybrid propulsion, form the foundation for future product development across a range of configurations, and create opportunities for customer engagement and experimentation." For more information: Sikorsky 6900 Main Street, Stratford, CT www.sikorsky.com ***
