The 1945 "Egg-Beater" - Kellett XR-8

 

With twin 3-bladed rotors intermeshing like the blades of an egg beater, the Kellett XR-8 presents a new and novel design in helicopters. A purely experimental model built for the Army Air Forces, the XR-8 has the advantages of greater power efficiency, reduction of vibration, reduced drag, and reduced power transmission requirements. 

Reports from test pilots indicate that it is highly maneuverable, and since the rotors revolve in opposite directions, there is no need for a tail rotor to counteract torque. While no performance figures have been released, the ship is powered by a Franklin air-cooled 245 h.p. engine using CF:CO fuel pumps.

Chandler-Evans is proud to have a small part in this new step in helicopter development. And as Chandler-Evans has always kept abreast of the newest and latest in America's other great war planes, so will it continue to serve the aviation industry when once again it turns to peacetime production. 

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images and info provided by the Aviation Week ARCHIVE from the Zetu Harrys Collection