Yan'an 2 Light Helicopters

The Yan'an 2 is the only light helicopter developed by universities, and China's first domestitc helicopter design [Yan'an l was a light utility aircraft]. Yan'an 2 machine was a single two-seater light helicopter with a three-point wheel landing gear. It was powered by a HS6C piston engine which drove a three blades rotor. A tricycle type landing gear was incorporated. The takeoff weight was 1,150 kg, maximum flying speed 192 km / h and range 230 km.

The Yan'an 2 light helicopter was designed on the basis of the military services' requirement. Yan'an 2 could be used for the implementation of the border area reconnaissance, patrol and communications tasks, and for the implementation of agriculture, forest and other tasks. The design of the helicopter overcame various difficulties, including the lack of available information from the design of physical and helicopters, the lack of experienced helicopter design talent, and the face that the technical difficulty of the helicopter is much greater than the aircraft.

In l958, the Beijing Aviation Institute [NAI] constructed a small coaxial helicopter "Beijing 10", but the design and manufacture were ultimately not successful. Northwestern Polytechnical University beganthe design and manufacture of the "Yan'an 2" helicopter in the summer of l958. The initial design work was carried out in NPU but was transfered to NAI afterwards. A complete development cycle from conceptual definition study through design, production, ground test and flight test was experienced and some key technical problems were solved. The design of the Yan'an 2 began in 1965, the full scale static test was completed in 1967 and the successful first flight was made in 1975.

The original metal blades were changed into composite material ones in 1983. The measurement of the rotor blade inherent behavior and the analysis and test methods for the blade coupled vibration have reached an advanced level.

A total of 3 helicopters were built. The #3 Yan'an 2 became an exhibit at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aviation Museum.