McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry
Introduction The '''McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry''' was a 1940s American experimental lightweight helicopter designed and built by McDonnell Aircraft.
Development The '''McDonnell Model 38''' was a lightweight experimental helicopter sponsored by the United States Army Air Force to test the concept of using small ramjets at the tips of the rotor blades. As a functional helicopter it was a simple open-frame steel-tube construction. Allotted the military designation '''XH-20''' the first of two first flew on the 29 August 1947.Although the XH-20 flew successfully the ramjets were noisy and burnt a large amount of fuel and plans to build a larger two-seat XH-29 were abandoned.
Variants ''Data from:'' U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909;Model 38 XH-20 Little Henry:experimental lightweight helicopter, two built. ;Model 79 XH-29 Big Henry:proposed two-seat ramjet-powered development, canceled.
Operator ;*United States Air Force
Aircraft on display XH-20 at the NMUSAF*''46-689'' the first XH-20 is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
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