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Review of V/STOL Aircraft with Tilt-Propellers and Tilt-Rotors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

Henry V. Borst
Henry V. Borst*
Affiliation:
The Boeing Company, Vertol Division
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Summary

Tests of the first experimental VTOL aircraft using tiltable wings and propellers indicated that practical operational aircraft are possible and can operate with a high degree of effectiveness.

The flight tests accomplished up to the present time with the second generation tilt-propeller and tilt-rotor aircraft are discussed and analysed. The XC-142 and the CL-84 tilt-wing aircraft have been performing well throughout their projected flight envelope and good pilot ratings have been obtained with each in hover, transition, and the normal cruise mode. The X-19 tandem wing tilt propeller was flown only up to 100 knots and was lost due to a structural failure in one nacelle. Although the operation of the aircraft had been satisfactory up to this point, this programme was terminated due to shortage of funds.

A study of the various VTOL aircraft configurations operating at low radius of action indicates that the tilt wing/ tilt propeller type are the most cost-effective as long as speed is an important parameter in the operating mission. There are missions where speed is of secondary importance, and therefore, the helicopter will continue to be one of the most effective VTOL for these missions.

Since the tilt-wing /tilt-rotor aircraft tend to be only slightly higher in cost than the helicopter and with development the complexity and maintainability will be reduced to acceptable levels, it is anticipated that further work will be done in the development of these vehicles, and successful and useful machines will be built in the future.

Type
Supplementary Paper
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 72 , Issue 693 , September 1968 , pp. 817 - 830
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1968 

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References

1.NASA Conference on V/STOL Aircraft, 17th-18th November 1960.Google Scholar
2. Hall, W. Earl, Jr., Prop-Rotor Stability at High Advance Ratios, Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. II, No 2, pp 11–26, April 1966.Google Scholar
3. O'harrah, R. C. and Kwiatkowkski, S. F., A New Look at V/STOL Flying Qualities, Aerospace Engineering, July 1961.Google Scholar
4. Beranek, , Noise Research, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1960.Google Scholar
5.NASA Conference of V/STOL and STOL Aircraft, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, 4th-5th April 1966.Google Scholar