New super chopper tested

S-97 Raider flies during the test held in West Palm Beach, Florida. / Screen capture from YouTube

Sikorsky Aircraft tested its new military helicopter S-97 Raider, online media Popular Science reported Saturday.

The test was conducted at Sikorsky Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, Friday.

With a pusher-propeller in the rear and rigid rotors, the helicopter was designed to fly at a top speed of 444 kilometers per hour.

Further tests will see the helicopter achieving such speed at altitudes of up to 3 kilometers.

The helicopter was built to carry six fully-armed soldiers and fly them at 290 kilometers per hour, twice as fast as the existing MH-6M Little Bird helicopter.

During the test, the helicopter prototype flew slowly at 19 kilometers per hour.

Pilot Bill Fell who flew the helicopter was quoted as saying it “responded exactly like the simulation practice program.”

Sikorsky Vice President Chris Van Buiten was quoted as saying that S-97 is capable of flying at a top speed of 407 kilometers per hour with weapons, which is about 185 kilometers per hour faster than “anything that’s out there.”