LCA LH 212 Delta
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=LH 212 Delta | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Helicopter | national origin=Italy | manufacturer=LCA Srl | designer= | first flight=by 2010 | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=11 by September 2012 | program cost= | unit cost= €165,000 (flyaway, 2012) | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The LCA LH 212 Delta is a two-seat Italian piston engine ultralight helicopter first flown in 2010.
Design and development
Though strong similarities between the Delta and another Italian helicopter, the 1989 DF Helicopters DF334, have been noted, it is not clear if there are direct relationships between either the machines or their makers. The Delta made its first flight after eight years of development.
The Delta has a standard pod and boom layout, the latter high set, slender and braced with a narrow angle V-form strut pair to its halfway point from bottom of the pod. It has a short span tailplane with small endplate fins raised above the boom on a swept, high aspect ratio fin, forming a T-tail. The tail rotor, mounted on the starboard side of the boom, has its two blades protected from ground strikes by a long, curved tubular bumper.
The pod seats two side-by-side behind a full clear forward transparency. Its skin is carbon fibre over a titanium alloy tube frame. Tandem controls are fitted, with two sets of anti-torque pedals and a T-shaped cyclic control centrally mounted on a console; the single collective pitch lever is placed between the seats. A governor sets the throttle in the absence of pilot input and trim is applied electrically. Small baggage can be stored in under seat lockers. Cabin access is through forward hinged doors in each side. A {{convert|84.5|kW|hp|abbr=on|0}} Rotax 914 turbocharged, liquid cooled, flat four piston engine with narrow rectangular cheek radiators is mounted behind the seats and partly exposed at the rear, driving a two blade main rotor. The helicopter lands on skids, transversely braced by a pair of airfoil section struts and positioned below the pod on two pairs of similar outward leaning struts, producing a skid track of {{convert|1.585|m|ftin|abbr=on|0}}.
Operational history
The first flight was in 2010 and marketing began in September 2011 at the Blois international ultra light show. A year later eleven flyaway examples had been built. A kit build version is planned.
Specifications
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2013–14
|prime units?=met
|genhide=
|capacity=Two
|length m=6.185
|length note=tail rotor turning
|height m=2.34
|height note=to fin tip
|empty weight kg=280
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=450
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|47|kg|lb|abbr=on|0}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rotax 914
|eng1 type=turbocharged liquid cooled flat four
|eng1 kw=84.5
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|more power=
|rot number=1
|rot dia m=6.68
|rot area sqm=35.05
|rot area note=twin blade
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=160
|cruise speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=200
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=450
|endurance=3 hr
|ceiling m=5000
|ceiling note=service; hover in ground effect, {{convert|3500|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}; hover out of ground effect {{convert|2500|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}
|g limits=
|climb rate ms=7.5
|climb rate note=maximum, at sea level
|time to altitude=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
- Aerokopter AK1-3 Sanka
- Alpi Syton AH 130
- DF Helicopters DF334
- Dynali H2S
- Famà Kiss 209
- RotorWay Exec
|lists=
}}
References
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{{Portal bar|Italy|Companies|Aviation}}
Category:2010s Italian helicopters