This Day in Aviation History
January 2nd, 1953
First flight of the Sud-Ouest Djinn.
 
The Sud-Ouest S.O.1221 Djinn is a French two-seat light helicopter designed and built by Sud-Ouest later Sud Aviation. The helicopter rotors were driven by compressed-air jets at the end of each blade.
 
Experience with the earlier Ariel experimental tip jet helicopter led Sud-Ouest to develop a practical light helicopter, the S.O.1221 Djinn. It did not use the same tip jet system but relied on compressed air being fed to the ends of the rotor blades. Apart from its method of propulsion the Djinn was a conventional helicopter with a two-seat side-by-side cabin and a Turbomeca Palouste turbo-compressor behind. The aircraft had an uncovered tail-boom with twin fins and a rudder. Because of the torque-free rotor propulsion, it did not need an anti-torque tail rotor.
 
A single seat prototype (designated S.O.1220) tested the power concept and first flew on 2 January 1953. This was a simple uncovered structure with an exposed seat for the pilot. This proved the viability of the propulsion system and five two-seat prototypes were then built as the S.O.1221, the first flew on 16 December 1953. Within a few days the helicopter had climbed to an altitude of 4,789 m (15,712 ft) to establish a record in its class…..
 
Source:
Wikipedia, Sud-Ouest Djinn: http://gstv.us/1OnuDcO
 
YouTube, French Jet Helicopter Tried Out AKA Jet Helicopter First To Fly Here (1956): http://gstv.us/1OnuFBt
 
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Photo from: http://gstv.us/1OnuOF6
 
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