The rotorcraft has evolved considerably since the introduction of the first helicopters into civil and military service in the early post-war years. The latest generation of rotorcraft now entering production make use of sophisticated technologies and set new standards for performance, productivity and safety. The paper discusses the current state of rotorcraft technology and outlines potential improvements for the future.

As a prelude to the discussion of technology improvements, future market conditions and drivers are examined. Cost is highlighted as a major preoccupation for civil and military operators and cost-effectiveness and operational flexibility are noted as the key market requirements for the future.

A range of platform and system issues are reviewed and potential improvements discussed. Areas covered include

• • rotor systems

• • powerplant

• • transmission

• • fuselage structures

• • vibration reduction

• • flight controls

• • human machine interface

• • mission systems.

The potential for new rotorcraft configurations is considered with particular attention given to the evolutionary step of thrust and lift compounding, which offers a wider flight envelope for rotorcraft without the high cost of radical configuration change.

Finally, the need for an integrated approach to the rotorcraft design and development process is emphasised. The highly capable tools and techniques that are now becoming available are considered vital to future process improvements. It is foreseen that increased resources will be needed during the early stages of product development in order to produce first time designs that meet market requirements. The importance of technology demonstration as a means of providing technology maturity is discussed. It is concluded that demonstration programmes will need to be closely linked to market requirements in the future with costs shared between all sections of the rotorcraft community.