Tilt Rotors: The Best of Both Worlds
Tilt Rotors, Best of Both Worlds?
by
Mathew Meacham
An Undergraduate Research Paper Submitted to the Extended Campus in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of ASCI 310: Aircraft Performance and the Degree of Bachelor of Professional Aeronautics
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Extended Campus
Oakland Resident Center
December 2011
ABSTRACT
Researcher: Mathew Meacham
Title: Tilt Rotors, Best of Both Worlds?
Institution: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Year: 2011
Tilt rotors have been in prototype aircrafts since 1947. Have these aircrafts ever been successful? Is there future development for these double edged swords? Or are these types of aircraft doomed to be a part of the infamous airplane boneyard? These questions will be brought to light along with any other facts and tidbits that people should know about tilt rotor applications and the projects they have become.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT ii
Chapter
I WHAT IS A TILT ROTOR 1 II HISTORY OF TILT ROTORS 2 Research Design 6 III FAMOUS TILT ROTOR AIRCRAFT 4 Bell XV-3 4 Curtiss-Wright X-19 5 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey 7 IV ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 9 V CONCLUSION 10
REFERENCES 12
BIBLIOGRAPHY 13
CHAPTER I
WHAT IS A TILT ROTOR A tilt rotor is a pair of powered rotors, sometimes called proprotors, which are mounted on rotating shafts at the end of a fixed wing. According to Chambers (2000), the tilt rotor is used for both lift and propulsion and it combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-winged aircraft. When the aircraft takes vertical flight, the rotors are angled so that the plane of rotation is horizontal, lifting it like a helicopter. When the aircraft starts to gain forward momentum, the rotors progressively tilt forward until the plane of rotation is completely vertical. The tilt rotor aircraft now
by
Mathew Meacham
An Undergraduate Research Paper Submitted to the Extended Campus in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of ASCI 310: Aircraft Performance and the Degree of Bachelor of Professional Aeronautics
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Extended Campus
Oakland Resident Center
December 2011
ABSTRACT
Researcher: Mathew Meacham
Title: Tilt Rotors, Best of Both Worlds?
Institution: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Year: 2011
Tilt rotors have been in prototype aircrafts since 1947. Have these aircrafts ever been successful? Is there future development for these double edged swords? Or are these types of aircraft doomed to be a part of the infamous airplane boneyard? These questions will be brought to light along with any other facts and tidbits that people should know about tilt rotor applications and the projects they have become.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT ii
Chapter
I WHAT IS A TILT ROTOR 1 II HISTORY OF TILT ROTORS 2 Research Design 6 III FAMOUS TILT ROTOR AIRCRAFT 4 Bell XV-3 4 Curtiss-Wright X-19 5 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey 7 IV ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 9 V CONCLUSION 10
REFERENCES 12
BIBLIOGRAPHY 13
CHAPTER I
WHAT IS A TILT ROTOR A tilt rotor is a pair of powered rotors, sometimes called proprotors, which are mounted on rotating shafts at the end of a fixed wing. According to Chambers (2000), the tilt rotor is used for both lift and propulsion and it combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-winged aircraft. When the aircraft takes vertical flight, the rotors are angled so that the plane of rotation is horizontal, lifting it like a helicopter. When the aircraft starts to gain forward momentum, the rotors progressively tilt forward until the plane of rotation is completely vertical. The tilt rotor aircraft now
References: M. Taylor. “Jane’s Encyclopedia of Aviation”. 1990. Retrieved December 01, 2011 from airforce-technology.com: http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/osprey/ E Felker F. F. & Betzina M. D. (1989). Full-Scale Tilt Rotor Hover Performance (4th ed.). Fort Worth, Texas. Dugan D. C. & Giulianetti D. J. (2000). The History of the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft: From concept to flight (17th ed.). Washington, D.C. NASA History Division. Leishman J. G. (2007). Helicopters and Tilt Rotors: Is there a case for the tilt rotor?. Rusi Defence Systems. Gaillard L. (2006). V-22 Osprey: Wonder Weapon or Widow Maker? They warned us but no one was listening. Washington, D.C. Center for Defense Information. Ford T. (1999). Tilt rotor progress (Volume 71 Issue 1). Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology. DOI: 10.1108/00022669910252169.