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50-595: In 1944, the United States Navy issued a requirement for a large rescue helicopter with capacity for ten occupants. The design was originally designated XHJD-1 ; shortly after flying it was re-designated the XHJH-1 . It was derived from the single-engined, twin rotor Platt-LePage XR-1 . James McDonnell had invested in that company in 1942 and some of his engineers had been working there, gaining experience of helicopter design and production techniques. McDonnell took control of

100-577: A United States Army Air Corps design competition held in early 1940, the XR-1 was the first helicopter tested by the USAAF, flying in 1941. The flight testing of the XR-1 proved troublesome, and although continued testing showed that the design had promise, other, improved helicopters were becoming available before the XR-1 was ready for service. As a result, the development of the aircraft was terminated in 1945. Developed during 1939 from an earlier, unsuccessful design,

150-448: A contract had been awarded to Platt-Lepage for the construction of seven pre-production aircraft, to be built to an improved version of the XR-1A design, and designated YR-1A. Motivated by Congressional concerns about potential favouritism towards Sikorsky Aircraft , which had in the meantime been given a contract for development of an improved version of their VS-300 experimental helicopter,

200-442: A few feet of the ground. As flight testing continued and the aircraft's performance envelope was expanded, the XR-1's quickly proved troublesome, the testing showing a variety of troubles with the design. These included issues with the aircraft's controls, insufficient control authority being present, and in addition there were resonance issues with the airframe that made the XR-1 prone to pilot-induced oscillations . The aircraft

250-560: A practical manual for teaching field artillery tactics and techniques. It quickly became the Army's standard reference work for training field artillery soldiers, and went through numerous printings during and after World War I . In July 1917, Danford served as mustering officer for members of the Pennsylvania National Guard , after which he traveled to Fort Sill , where he served as an artillery instructor. Originally slated to join

300-423: A result and testing, following the repairs, resuming in 1944. Despite the modifications to the design, however, the XR-1 still proved to be deficient in control authority. In July 1943, the XR-1 program suffered a setback when the aircraft crashed, seriously injuring test pilot Jim Ray, who had replaced Leavitt following the latter's dismissal from the company. The crash was caused by an inspector's error in leaving

350-419: A side-by-side arrangement on wing-like pylons. The pylons were aerodynamically designed to produce some lift when in forwards flight, slightly unloading the rotors. The construction of the XR-1 was conventional by the standards of the time, with the aircraft's frame consisting of a steel-tube framework, which was covered with fabric . The XR-1 had tail surfaces similar to those of a conventional aircraft, and

400-562: A strong proponent, and helped ensure that the Army used airplanes for identifying targets, observing the impact of indirect fire, and assessing its effectiveness. Danford retired in 1942, when the Army eliminated the branch chief positions in favor of consolidating their functions under the commander of the Army Ground Forces . For his service in World War I, Danford received the U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal , Belgian Order of

450-420: A suspect part on the aircraft, the rotor hub failing in flight as a result of the decision. The aircraft was repairable, but it would be a year before the XR-1 was ready to fly again. Testing was, however, able to continue in the meantime, as Platt-LePage had re-negotiated the XR-1 contract to cover a second flight-test aircraft. Built to a revised and improved version of the XR-1's design and designated XR-1A,

500-467: The 42nd Division , in August, he was instead assigned to the 302nd Field Artillery, a unit of the 76th Division . He trained with the regiment at Camp Devens , Massachusetts , after which he was assigned to Plattsburgh Barracks , New York as senior instructor of field artillery for the Army's second wartime Officers' Training Camp . He was promoted to major in August, and temporary lieutenant colonel on

550-708: The Mexican Revolution . From 1914 to 1915 Danford was an instructor at the Army's Field Artillery School . Danford was based at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut from 1915 to 1917, and served as senior instructor and inspector of the Connecticut National Guard . During this assignment, Danford was promoted to major , lieutenant colonel , and colonel in the National Guard and assigned to command Connecticut's 10th Field Artillery Regiment . He

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600-521: The Smithsonian Institution . In the meantime, the company's former test pilot, Lou Leavitt, had purchased the wreckage of the XR-1A at a price of 4 cents per pound. Leavitt was a pilot with Helicopter Air Transport , which was providing helicopter services in anticipation of a postwar aviation boom, and the XR-1A was returned to flying condition. The projected boom failed to materialise, however, and HAT quickly entered bankruptcy , selling

650-628: The United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College . He commanded the 13th Field Artillery Regiment from 1935 to 1937, and was Chief of Field Artillery as a major general during World War II , serving from 1938 until retiring in 1942. After retiring from the Army, Danford commanded the wartime civilian auxiliary of the New York City Police Department until

700-908: The United States Military Academy in 1904, and began a long career in the Army's Field Artillery branch. He worked his way through the ranks in staff positions of increasing responsibility, and commanded a battery on the Arizona - Mexico border during the Border War that took place at the time of the Mexican Revolution . During World War I , Danford commanded several units and trained National Guard and regular Army artillery soldiers for service in France , and received promotion to temporary brigadier general . After World War I, Danford continued to serve in high profile assignments, including Commandant of Cadets at West Point. In addition, he graduated from

750-583: The XR-4 . In its design, the XR-1 bore a strong resemblance to the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 , a helicopter developed by Henrich Focke in Germany that, flown by Hanna Reitsch , had impressed Platt-LePage co-founder Wynn LePage during a tour of Europe. The XR-1 was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial engine , mounted in a buried installation within the fuselage. The aircraft had two, three-bladed rotors, mounted in

800-404: The honorary degree of Master of Arts from Yale University. In 1975, the museum board at Fort Sill designated one of the post's residence buildings as Danford House, and installed a plaque commemorating Danford's career. Built in the 1870s, the limestone house has traditionally been the quarters of Fort Sill's chief of staff. After retiring from the military, Danford organized and commanded

850-607: The 13th Field Artillery at Schofield Barracks. He was promoted to permanent lieutenant colonel in 1928, and permanent colonel in 1935. From 1937 to 1938, Danford served at Fort Sheridan, Illinois as chief of staff for the VI Corps Area . In 1938, Danford was selected to serve as Chief of Field Artillery and promoted to major general . As the United States increased preparation for involvement in World War II and then entered

900-468: The Army Air Forces, flew the aircraft himself, reaching 100 mph (160 km/h) on his first flight in the aircraft. With the worst of the aircraft's problems believed to have been resolved, the XR-1 was submitted for service testing by the Army Air Forces in 1943. During the course of the Army's evaluations, the XR-1's empennage failed during structural testing, the surfaces being strengthened as

950-585: The Army Air Forces, who placed the aircraft in storage before donating it to the Smithsonian Institution 's National Air and Space Museum . The unrestored aircraft is stored at the Paul Garber Restoration and Storage Facility in "remarkable condition". Data from Connor and Lee 2000; Lambermont 1958 General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Robert M. Danford Robert M. Danford (July 7, 1879 – September 12, 1974)

1000-437: The Army's remount depot near Lexington, Kentucky to undertake a study of horses and horse breeding, with the goal of determining the best methods for the Army to procure and employ the horses it needed for artillery, cavalry, transportation, and supply activities. He commanded a battery at Fort Sill , Oklahoma from 1912 to 1914, including service on the Arizona - Mexico border during the Border War that took place during

1050-680: The City Patrol Corps, a civilian auxiliary of the New York City Police Department , which provided wartime security for power plants, water filtration plants, and other sensitive facilities. In August 1951, Time reported that 90 of West Point's 2,500 cadets were facing dismissal for mass violations of the Cadet Honor Code . The Army arranged for an investigation by a panel which included famed jurist Learned Hand and retired generals Troy H. Middleton , then president of Louisiana State University , and Danford. The board found that some of

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1100-642: The Crown , and honorary Order of the British Empire (Commander). The citation for his Army DSM reads: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Brigadier General Robert Melville Danford, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of

1150-662: The PL-1, the Platt-LePage Model PL-3 was the winner of a 1940 design competition, held under the terms of the Dorsey-Logan Act , for the supply of a helicopter design to the United States Army Air Corps . Platt-LePage's submission was judged by the Army to be superior to its competitors, which included a helicopter submitted by Vought-Sikorsky , and autogyros developed by Kellett and Pitcairn . Following

1200-532: The Philippines in 1908, Danford assisted Edmund L. Gruber in authoring the lyrics to "The Caisson Song", which was later adapted into the " U.S. Field Artillery March " and then " The Army Goes Rolling Along ". In 1910, Danford was assigned as aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Frederick K. Ward, the commander of Fort Riley and commandant of the Mounted Service School. In 1911, Danford was assigned to

1250-533: The United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. While on duty in the Office of the Chief of Field Artillery, General Danford displayed marked ability in planning the organization of field artillery replacement depots. He then proceeded to Camp Jackson, South Carolina, established this depot, and administered it during the remainder of the war with rare ability and judgment. In addition, in 1917 he received

1300-1009: The West Point Association of Graduates, secretary and treasurer and executive director of the West Point Alumni Foundation, and editor of the Register of Graduates and Former Cadets of the United States Military Academy . Danford also authored a genealogical work, 1967's The Nobles and the Raders: Being a Compilation of Members and Descendants of the Noble and Rader Families Who Were Amongst the Earliest Pioneer Settlers of Mercer County, Illinois . Danford died in Stamford, Connecticut on September 12, 1974. He

1350-562: The World's Aircraft 1949-50, McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 Vol.2 General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Platt-LePage XR-1 The Platt-LePage XR-1 , also known by the company designation PL-3, is an early American transverse rotors helicopter , built by the Platt-LePage Aircraft Company of Eddystone, Pennsylvania . The winner of

1400-462: The XR-1 was returned to the company, Platt-LePage believing that the design had potential as a civilian aircraft. The planned civilian version, the PL-9, would have been an enlarged, twin-engined aircraft; however Platt-LePage was by now in serious financial difficulty following the cancellation of its Army contract, and in mid 1946 the XR-1's flight test program was concluded, the aircraft being retired to

1450-456: The XR-1A to Frank Piasecki , another former Platt-LePage employee who had now started his own helicopter company. Leavitt flew the helicopter to Piasecki, who never flew it due to airworthiness concerns, and used the airframe in the development of the PA-2B , a planned tiltrotor which failed to proceed beyond the mock-up stage. Following the conclusion of flight testing, the XR-1 was returned to

1500-464: The XR-1A's improvements had failed to cure the aircraft of all of its control and vibration problems, and the AAF's Air Materiel Command considered the company "inept" in its work, applying a "hit-or-miss method" to research and development. As a result of this assessment, the Army's contracts with the company were universally cancelled in early April 1945. Following the cancellation of the Army's contract,

1550-437: The accused cadets, most of whom were on the football team, had been receiving the answers to exams ahead of time through upper class students who were assisting them as tutors. Others were accused of knowing about the cheating, but failing to report it. The panel recommended dismissal of all 90 suspected violators; they were eventually allowed to resign, and many transferred to other schools. Danford also served as president of

McDonnell XHJH Whirlaway - Misplaced Pages Continue

1600-591: The aircraft, Major General Robert M. Danford proposed to the War Department that the XR-1 be evaluated against the Stinson YO-54 and the Kellett YG-1B autogyro . Following several months of ground testing, the XR-1 conducted its maiden flight on May 12, 1941, although the aircraft was restrained by a tether for its early flights. On June 23 the aircraft conducted its first free flight, albeit remaining within

1650-508: The company in June 1944. The XHJH-1 first flew two months later. It had twin side-by-side 46 ft (14 m) rotors at the end of pylon wings which turned in opposite directions. Each rotor was powered by a 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B Wasp Junior engine. The sole XHJH-1 is held by the National Air and Space Museum . Data from Aerofiles :McDonnell, Jane's All

1700-562: The contract called for delivery of the first YR-1A to the Army in January 1945. However, due to continued financial and flight-testing problems, Platt-Lepage proved incapable of meeting this schedule. Although the XR-1's problems seemed to be approaching resolution by late 1944, the protracted development of the aircraft meant that alternative, improved helicopters, such as Sikorsky's XR-4 , less expensive and more maneuverable than Platt-LePage's aircraft, were becoming available. In addition, even

1750-619: The end of World War II in 1945, and was active in West Point alumni affairs. He died in Stamford, Connecticut in 1974, and was buried at West Point Cemetery . Robert Melville Danford was born in New Boston, Illinois on July 7, 1879. His mother was Dora Noble Danford (1855-1894), and his father was Melville Cox Danford (1847-1921), a farmer and American Civil War veteran of the Union Army 's 16th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment . Danford

1800-639: The same day. Danford returned to Fort Sill in December 1917, this time to assume command of the 129th Field Artillery Regiment , a Missouri National Guard unit which he led through its initial organization and training after it was federalized for the war. Among the regiment's soldiers was Harry S. Truman , who later said he learned more practical, useful information from Danford in six weeks than from six months of formal Army instruction. When Truman later served as an artillery instructor, he consciously patterned his approach on Danford's. In April, 1918, Danford

1850-499: The second aircraft had flown for the first time in May 1943. The XR-1A featured a revised cockpit covering compared to that of the XR-1, with the area of glazing being increased for improved visibility, and the pilot and observer's positions being reversed, the pilot now seated in the rear cockpit. During flight testing the XR-1A was found superior in flight performance to the XR-1; however, the controls were still proving troublesome, although

1900-537: The selection of the Platt-LePage design in May 1940, a contract for the construction of a prototype and a static test airframe was issued in July of that year. The contract specified delivery of the flying prototype in January 1941, however the aircraft was not completed until three months later than the contract schedule, a delay that led to Sikorsky receiving Dorsey-Logan Act funding for development of its design, which became

1950-499: The staff of the Chief of Field Artillery. In May, he went to France where he carried out an observation and inspection tour as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces staff. After the war, Danford returned to his permanent rank of captain (March 1919); in August, 1919 he was promoted to permanent major. From August 1919 to July 1923, Danford served as Commandant of Cadets at West Point. From 1923 to 1924 he

2000-413: The war, Danford's tenure was largely concerned with equipping, manning, and training artillery units as they were organized and fielded for wartime service. Though Danford had been seen as an opponent of technological advances, such as advocating for the use of horse-drawn artillery instead of mechanization, after firsthand observation of how effective light aircraft were for artillery observation he became

2050-456: The worst of the bugs did seem to have been worked out. Following a cross-country flight to Wright Field in Ohio from Platt-LePage's Pennsylvania plant, testing of the XR-1A continued until a mechanical failure in the rotor hub led to a crash landing on 26 October 1944, the company deciding to sell the wreckage for scrap. The XR-1, having been repaired in the meantime, was once again flying, and

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2100-458: Was a student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College , after which he served again on the staff of the Chief of Field Artillery. Danford attended the United States Army War College from 1928 to 1929; after graduation, he was assigned to the 13th Field Artillery Regiment at Schofield Barracks , Hawaii . From 1931 to 1935, Danford served as executive officer to the Chief of Field Artillery, and from 1935 to 1937 he commanded

2150-543: Was an American military leader. A career officer in the United States Army , he served in both World War I and World War II , and attained the rank of major general . His notable assignments included Commandants of Cadets at the United States Military Academy and Chief of Field Artillery . Born in New Boston, Illinois as the son of a Union Army veteran of the American Civil War , Danford graduated from

2200-531: Was assigned to Camp Jackson , South Carolina to command the Field Artillery Replacement Depot , which provided new artillery soldiers to fill vacancies in units as they were organized, and to bring depleted front line units back up to full strength. He commanded the depot until December, and was promoted to temporary colonel in July 1918, and temporary brigadier general the following month. From December 1918 to May 1919, Danford served on

2250-614: Was buried at West Point Cemetery , Section II, Row A, Site 17. In 1909, Danford married Katherine V. Hyde (1888-1963) in Oakland, California . Katherine Hyde was the daughter of Alice Evelyn Van de Carr Hyde (1855-1916) and Marcus Darius Hyde (1849-1930). Marcus Hyde was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy , an attorney, and a member of the California State Assembly . Robert and Katherine Danford were

2300-593: Was educated in New Boston, Mannon , and Aledo and at the academy which was part of Mount Vernon, Iowa 's Cornell College . In 1899, he earned a Master of Accounts degree from Gem City Business College in Quincy, Illinois . In 1900, Danford began attendance at the United States Military Academy . He graduated in 1904 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery . Danford's initial posting

2350-409: Was equipped with a fixed, taildragger landing gear. The aircraft's wheels freely castered for easier maneuvering on the ground. The cockpit of the XR-1 seated the aircraft's two crew members in a tandem arrangement, the pilot located ahead of the observer, and was extensively glazed to provide good visibility in the aircraft's intended observation and army co-operation role. During the development of

2400-500: Was modified in an attempt to resolve these issues, and the Army modified Platt-LePage's contract to provide additional funding for improvements to the design, but despite this the XR-1's problems continued. In addition, the company's test pilot, Lou Leavitt, lacked confidence in the design, refusing to fly the aircraft to its full potential. The situation was only resolved when Colonel H. Franklin Gregory , director of rotor-wing projects for

2450-657: Was promoted to captain in the Army in 1916. In 1916, the 10th Field Artillery was activated for federal service in World War I , and Danford commanded the regiment during its initial training at Tobyhanna Army Depot . From February to July 1917, Danford was assigned as assistant professor of military science at Yale University , and served as the mustering officer for members of the Connecticut National Guard as they entered federal service. While at Yale, Danford co-authored Notes on Training Field Artillery Details ,

2500-529: Was to the 5th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Riley , Kansas . While with the 5th Artillery, he served in the Philippines and on temporary duty with the coast artillery at the Presidio of San Francisco . He also attended the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley, and after graduation in 1907 he was assigned as the school's secretary. Danford was also promoted to first lieutenant in 1907. While serving in

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