Draft:Silvercraft SH-200

The Silvercraft SH-200 was a light helicopter developed by the Italian company Silvercraft in the 1970s and remained at the prototype stage.

History
Based on the previous SH-4 model, the Silvecraft company, in collaboration with the Fiat Aviation Division and Società Italiana Resine, designed with the assistance of Tom Tjaarda, an advanced version of the previous model, which incorporated notable modifications, both which was designated SH-200. The prototype, registered I-SILD, first flew on April 12, 1977.

In the basic model the SH-200 was suitable for carrying out liaison, utility transport, surveillance of highways, oil and power lines, aerophotogrammetry, air ambulance, police, and agricultural use. The tests highlighted that the aircraft had great maneuverability, and a maximum speed of 180 km/h. The prototype was exhibited at the Paris-Le Bourget Air Show that year.

Description
The Silvercraft SH-200 was a two-seater helicopter of metal and fiberglass composition. The structure is made up of three elements, cabin, central section and tail boom, built in light aluminum alloy and fibreglass. The tail boom built by SIR entirely in fiberglass has a series of circular frames of various diameters, and ends with a T-shaped tail empennage. The firewalls were made of titanium alloy.

The engine was a 205 hp Lycoming LHIO-360-C1A 4-cylinder, air-cooled, opposed engine, delivering 205 hp. The rotor was two-bladed, and had a stabilizer bar for crossbar balancing similar to that of the Bell 47. The blades were made of wood with glass fabric and incorporated a steel skirt with tip masses increasing the inertia of the rotor. The landing gear came in the form of simple skids. The rate of climb was 5.9 m/sec, and the cruising speed reached 128 km/h. The fuel capacity was 200 litres.

Operational usage
Although the SH-200 model, which could not carry cargo on board, attracted interest, it did not go into production, and Silvercraft abandoned helicopter production during 1979.