__NOTOC__ The Airmaster H2-B1 is a British two-seat ultralight

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

built by Airmaster Helicopters of Camberley, Surrey.

Development

The H2-B1 was designed with the co-operation of the builders of the American Helicom helicopter. Construction of the prototype, registered ''G-AYNS'', was started in September 1970 and it was first flown from

Redhill Aerodrome Redhill Aerodrome is an operational general aviation aerodrome located south-east of Redhill, Surrey, England, in green belt land. It also serves as an important reliever airport for Gatwick airport. Redhill Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary L ...

on 12 September 1972. It was intended that an improved H2-B2 variant would enter production but only the prototype H2-B1 was built.

Design

The H2-B1 is a two-seat ultralight helicopter with a single two-bladed main rotor and a two-bladed tail rotor. The fuselage is a welded tubular structure skinned with

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

and had two

side-by-side configuration Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...

seats for the pilot and a passenger, it is also fitted with a skid landing gear, small wheels are fitted to allow the helicopter to be moved on the ground. The engine is a Rolls-Royce Continental O-200-A air-cooled engine driving the main and tail rotors through a simple gearbox.

Variants

;H2-B1 :Prototype, one built ;H2-B2 :Proposed production variant with streamlined fuselage and a monocoque tailboom, not built.

Specifications

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{refend 1970s British civil utility aircraft 1970s British helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1972