ORIGINAL HUGHES TOOL COMPANY XH-17 "Flying Crane” HELICOPTER PHOTO C8576

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The XH-17 "Flying Crane”was the first helicopter project for the Hughes aircraft division. The giant helicopter was flight tested in Culver City , Calif. over a three-year period beginning in 1952. The XH-17, which had a two-bladed main rotor system with a diameter of 136 feet, was capable of flying at a gross weight of more than 50,000 pounds. In the late 1940s, Hughes developed an interest in helicopters. In August 1947, helicopter manufacturer Kellett sold his design for the giant XH-17 Sky Crane to Hughes. Howard Hughes Jr. commissioned the development of the XH-17 Flying Crane research vehicle. In 1948 aviation pioneer Howard Hughes, Jr. began to turn the giant XH-17 Flying Crane into a flying reality. The giant helicopter was flight tested in Culver City , Calif. over a three-year period beginning in 1952. The XH-17 flew in 1953 flew at a gross weight in excess of 50,000 pounds. It still holds the record for flying with the world's largest rotor system. Only one unit built, since the behemoth was too cumbersome and inefficient to warrant further development. "Experimental heavy-lift helicopter first flown in October 23, 1952. Turbojets provided compressed air for blade-tip pressure jets. The XH-17 had enormous potential but its range was too short to be practicable. Weight fully loaded: 52,000 lb. Cruising speed: 60 mph Range: 40 miles Number of seats: 2 As a flying test rig, the XH-17 utilized as many existing parts as possible, including a cockpit from a Waco CG-15 glider landing gear from both a B-25 & C-54 a bomb-bay fuel tank from a B-29 A pair of General Electric J35 jet engines were modified to route bleed air into the 136 foot two-blade rotor, where the air was mixed with fuel at the rotor tips in four burners. H-19 Tail Rotor Blades With the giant rotor turning at only 88 rpm, the engines & pressure-jets were expected to produce 3,480 hp. There was not very much to the XH-17 apart from the gigantic two-blade rotor, with a diameter of 136 ft. This was carried on a stubby but lofty structure, on a tall multi-wheel landing gear. On each side was a General Electric TG-180 turbojet, later re-designated J35, modified so that instead of giving just jet thrust it supplied an enormous flow of compressed air, tapped off through a large duct between the compressor and combustion chambers. The air trunks led up to the mighty rotor hub and then delivered the air along the hollow blades to General Electric GE33F pressure-jet burners arranged along the outer part of each blade. Here fuel was injected and burned for VTOL, though it was hoped fuel burning at the tips could be reduced or even eliminated in cruising flight. The giant machine spent 1949-51 in ground tests and then made a successful free flight on 23 October 1952. Eventually plans for the projected production version, the H-28, were cancelled. The limiting range of around 40 miles was a great handicap, because the XH-17 was too big to be airlifted at that time and thus had to fly to wherever it was needed or travel by ship. But it was bigger and had more rotor power than any helicopter since built outside the Soviet Union .” This photo is one of the original photos taken by the Hughes Tool Company. The photo is stamped HUGHES AIRCRAFT, OCT 23, 1952 Number C 8576. The photo has two holes punched in the upper end of the photo – NOT IN ANY AREA OF THE PHOTO. The photo will be shipped between two cardboards, thus must be shipped as a package per USPS, however it will be in a large envelope. read more

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