Rolls-Royce Celebrates Eighth Collier Trophy Win

Rolls-Royce announces it is proud to be a member of the team that was recently awarded the prestigious 2010 Robert J. Collier Trophy.

The Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company (LHTEC) CTS800-powered Sikorsky X2 Technology demonstrator won the award given annually to recognize the greatest achievements in aeronautics or astronautics in America. LHTEC is a 50:50 partnership between Rolls-Royce and Honeywell.

The 2010 award is the 100th Collier Trophy to be awarded since its inception and the eighth for Rolls-Royce. The Rolls-Royce portion of the engine was designed and built in Indianapolis.

The Collier Trophy was presented at the Annual Collier Dinner on 5 May, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. The award recognizes achievements that improve the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles.

During a test flight in September, the CTS800-powered X2 demonstrator, developed by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., set an unofficial world speed record for a conventional helicopter, achieving 250 knots in level flight and 260 knots in a very shallow dive. A single CTS800 turboshaft engine powers a counter-rotating coaxial rotor and pusher propeller. The aircraft retains excellent low-speed handling, efficient hovering, and a seamless transition to high speed.