Conceived in the early 1950s as an ultra-lightweight helicopter, the original YH-32 was built as military research project but the helicopter itself was certified under civilian FAA regulations and first flew in 1954.  It featured twin ramjet engines positioned at the rotor tips, a design choice that made the aircraft lightweight and easy to fly, and which did not create the torque present in traditional single-rotor helicopters, thus making a tail rotor unnecessary.

Two Hornets were modified for US Army evaluation in the YH-32A configuration to evaluate the suitability of helicopters for use as armed, flying gunships.  To accommodate the added weight of weapons, the YH-32A was stripped down to the bare minimum airframe – an adjustment that led to this variant being dubbed “Sally Rand”, after the famed burlesque performer of the era.  The YH-32A could be fitted with guided missiles or unguided rockets and showed the potential for small, armed aircraft capable of vertical flight.

While successful as an experimental platform, the YH-32’s unique powerplant choice rendered it a curiosity rather than an effective operational helicopter.  The ramjets performed inefficiently at the subsonic speeds required by the helicopter blades, leading to prodigious fuel consumption – the Hornet could fly less than 30 miles without refueling.  The ramjets also produced unusually high noise levels, even for a helicopter, and nighttime operations gave rise to a spectacular “ring of fire” generated by the rotor tip-mounted ramjets.  Fewer than 20 YH-32s Hornets were built.

Specifications

Type:  Technology Demonstrator

Powerplant:  2 x Hiller 8RJ2B Ramjets

Cruise Speed:  60 knots

Range:  24 nautical miles