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Technology update
European tilt-rotor concept
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The British University of Liverpool is working with Franco-German helicopter maker Eurocopter and research facilities including DLR, NLR, ONERA, and CIRA on the first-phase design of a civilian European tilt-rotor aircraft. It is working on risk reduction in the aircraft's control system. The University says results of its control system risk-reduction work will be considered by 2-Gether, a large-scale integrated program (LSIP) scheduled for 2001. Eurocopter, Westland, and Agusta are participating in the program to build ground test vehicles for two different tilt-rotor concepts. If these are successful, one or possibly both could be prepared for flight test.
According to the University, the ultimate aim is to develop a 19-seat, twin-engine, single-pilot tilt-rotor design. Its role will be to link its new Flight Simulation Laboratory (FLS) to support research into the design and control of the tilt rotors. It will also be involved in the 2-Gether program, testing control concepts on the simulator.
Gareth Padfield, the University's Head of Aerospace Engineering, says a common problem with tilt rotors is that of rotorblade "flap" at angles of incidence. He says that there is hope for the possibility of actively controlling the dynamics of the rotor structure via computerized monitoring linked to the fly-by-wire control system, which facilitates conversion from helicopter to fixed-wing mode. "A similar approach has been used on the Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey and for a different application on the Eurofighter Typhoon," said Padfield.
Stuart Birch
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Aerospace Engineering September 2000
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