Cost characteristics of tilt-rotor, conventional air and high speed rail short-haul intercity passenger service

The cost analysis done to support an assessment of the potential for a small tilt-rotor aircraft to operate in short-haul intercity passenger service is described in detail. Anticipated costs of tilt-rotor air service were compared to the costs of two alternatives: conventional air and high speed rail (HSR). Costs were developed for corridor service, varying key market characteristics including distance, passenger volumes, and minimum frequency standards. The resulting cost vs output information can then be used to compare modal costs for essentially identical service quality and passenger volume or for different service levels and volumes for each mode, as appropriate. Extensive sensitivity analyses are performed. The cost-output features of these technologies are compared. Tilt-rotor is very attractive compared to HSR in terms of costs over the entire range of volume. It also has costs not dramatically different from conventional air, but tilt-rotor costs are generally higher. Thus some of its other advantages, such as the VTOL capability, must offset the cost disadvantage for it to be a preferred or competitive mode in any given market. These issues are addressed in the companion report which considers strategies for tilt-rotor development in commercial air service

A strategy for advancing tilt-rotor technology

Tilt-rotor technology has many features which make it a very promising development in aviation which might have application to a wide variety of transportation and logistics situations. However, aside from military applications and rather specialized industrial applications, little is known regarding the potential of tilt-rotor for commercial transportation and hence it is difficult to plan a development program which would gain support and be likely to produce a stream of significant benefits. The purpose is to attempt to provide some of this information in a manner that would be useful for preparing a strategy for development of tilt-rotor aircraft technology. Specifically, the objectives were: to identify promising paths of development and deployment of tilt-rotor aircraft technology in the air transportation system considering both benefits and disbenefits, and to identify any particular groups that are likely to benefit significantly and propose plans for gaining their support of research and development of this technology. Potential advantages of the tilt-rotor technology in the context of air transportation as a door-to-door system were identified, and then promising paths of development of such tilt-rotor systems were analyzed. These then lead to recommendations for specific studies, information dissemination and development of awareness of the tilt-rotor among specific transport-related groups

Speed benefits of tilt-rotor designs for LHX

The merits of an advanced helicopter and a tilt rotor aircraft for light utility, scout, and attack roles in combat missions envisioned for the year 2000 and beyond were compared. It is demonstrated that speed has increasing value for 11 different mission classes broadly encompassing the intended LHX roles. Helicopter speeds beyond 250 knots are judged to have lower military worth. Since the tilt rotor concept offers a different cost speed relationship than that of helicopters, assessment of a tilt rotor LHX variant was warranted. The technical parameters of an advanced tilt rotor are stablished. Parameters of representative missions are identified, computed relative value of the tilt rotor LHX are compared to the baseline helicopter, a first-order life cycle estimate for the tilt rotor LHX is established, military worth of the alternative design is computed and the results are evaluated. It is suggested that the tilt rotor is the solution with the greatest capability for meeting the uncertainties of future needs

Swashplate feedback control for tilt-rotor aircraft

Changes in angle of attack in system were sensed indirectly by gages which responded to strains induced in wing structure. Output signals were amplified, filtered, and used to activate swashplate actuators. System provided significant reduction in blade loads and desirable changes in hub forces and moments

Rotorcraft aeroelastic stability

Theoretical and experimental developments in the aeroelastic and aeromechanical stability of helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft are addressed. Included are the underlying nonlinear structural mechanics of slender rotating beams, necessary for accurate modeling of elastic cantilever rotor blades, and the development of dynamic inflow, an unsteady aerodynamic theory for low-frequency aeroelastic stability applications. Analytical treatment of isolated rotor stability in hover and forward flight, coupled rotor-fuselage stability in hover and forward flight, and analysis of tilt-rotor dynamic stability are considered. Results of parametric investigations of system behavior are presented, and correlation between theoretical results and experimental data from small and large scale wind tunnel and flight testing are discussed

A CFD study of tilt rotor flowfields

The download on the wing produced by the rotor wake of a tilt rotor vehicle in hover is of major concern because of its severe impact on payload-carrying capability. In a concerted effort to understand the fundamental fluid dynamics that cause this download, and to help find ways to reduce it, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed to study this problem. The thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are used to describe the flow, and an implicit, finite difference numerical algorithm is the method of solution. The methodology is developed to analyze the tilt rotor flowfield. Included are discussions of computations of an airfoil and wing in freestream flows at -90 degrees, a rotor alone, and wing/rotor interaction in two and three dimensions. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility and great potential of the present approach. Recommendations are made for both near-term and far-term improvements to the method

Accuracy of Tilt Rotor Hover Performance Predictions

The accuracy of various methods used to predict tilt rotor hover performance was established by comparing predictions with large-scale experimental data. A wide range of analytical approaches were examined. Blade lift was predicted with a lifting line analysis, two lifting surface analyses, and by a finite-difference solution of the full potential equation. Blade profile drag was predicted with two different types of airfoil tables and an integral boundary layer analysis. The inflow at the rotor was predicted using momentum theory, two types of prescribed wakes, and two free wake analyses. All of the analyses were accurate at moderate thrust coefficients. The accuracy of the analyses at high thrust coefficients was dependent upon their treatment of high sectional angles of attack on the inboard sections of the rotor blade. The analyses which allowed sectional lift coefficients on the inboard stations of the blade to exceed the maximum observed in two-dimensional wind tunnel tests provided better accuracy at high thrust coefficients than those which limited lift to the maximum two-dimensional value. These results provide tilt rotor aircraft designers guidance on which analytical approaches provide the best results, and the level of accuracy which can be expected from the best analyses

The XV-15 tilt rotor research aircraft

The design characteristics of the XV-15 Tilt rotor research aircraft are presented. Particular attention is given to the following: control system; conversion system; and propulsion system. Flight test results are also reported

NASA/HAA Advanced Rotorcraft Technology and Tilt Rotor Workshop. Volume 7: Tilt Rotor Session

The technical characteristics of the XV-15 aircraft were discussed. Program objectives, concept evaluation, tilt rotor experiments and civil market applications are presented. The XV-15 status and test schedule are also included

Experimental and analytical studies in tilt-rotor aeroelasticity

An overview of an experimental and analytical research program underway for studying the aeroelastic and dynamic characteristics of tilt-rotor VTOL aircraft is presented. Selected results from several investigations of scaled models in the transonic dynamics tunnel, as well as some results from a test of a flight-worthy proprotor in the full-scale wind tunnel are shown and discussed with a view toward delineating various aspects of dynamic behavior peculiar to proprotor aircraft. Included are such items as proprotor/pylon stability, whirl flutter, gust response, and blade flapping. Theoretical predictions are shown to be in agreement with the measured stability and response behavior