The Raider X is a next-generation helicopter under development by Sikorsky that shows signs of a striking change to the US Army’s helicopter community. The United States Army's (US Army) Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program is aiming to develop a next-generation helicopter for both reconnaissance and attack roles. The Raider X departs completely from the design principles of its predecessors like the Boeing AH-64 Apache or Bell AH-1 Cobra.
It features an essentially inverted tail assembly along with an internal weapons bay that extends and retracts hard points to fire, akin to a gull-wing door. Most striking of all is the double-helix, contra-rotating main rotor assembly, something that no American military helicopter has ever had before. Designed for speed and agility The compound coaxial design of the Raider X means that it has two sets of contra-rotating rotor blades for its main rotor assembly.
The double set of rotor blades spin in opposite directions, hence the name, contra-rotating. This is a design that has been favored by Russian aerospace since early in the Cold War arms race but never gained ground with Western helicopter makers. This design eliminates the need for a tail rotor, which in turn reduces the total overall drag and enhances the maneuverability.
This also has the advantage of a more compact airframe than the Army’s primary attack helo - the Apache. The coaxial main rotor is paired with a pusher propeller mounted at the rear in a confi.
