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Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor
The Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor (QTR) is a proposed four-rotor derivative of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey developed jointly by Bell Helicopter and Boeing. The concept is a contender in the U.S. Army's Joint Heavy Lift program (a part of Future Vertical Lift program). It would have a cargo capacity roughly equivalent to the C-130 Hercules, cruise at 250 knots, and land at unimproved sites vertically like a helicopter.
Bell developed its model D-322 as a quad tiltrotor concept in 1979. The Bell Boeing team disclosed a Quad TiltRotor design in 1999 which the companies had been investigating during the previous two years. The design was for a C-130-size V/STOL transport for the US Army's Future Transport Rotorcraft program and would have 50% commonality with the V-22. This design was to have a maximum takeoff weight of 100,000 lb (45,000 kg) with a payload of up to 25,000 lb (11,000 kg) in a hover. The design was downsized to be more V-22-based and to have a payload of 18,000 to 20,000 lb (8,200 to 9,100 kg). This version was referred to as "V-44". Bell received contracts to study related technologies in 2000. Development was not pursued by the US Department of Defense.
From 2000 to 2006, studies of the aerodynamics and performance of a Quad Tilt Rotor were conducted at the University of Maryland, College Park. This effort was initially funded by NASA/AFDD and subsequently by Bell. An experimental investigation in helicopter mode with ground effect found that it was possible to reduce the download on the aircraft from 10% of the total thrust to an upload of 10% of the thrust. A parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study confirmed these findings.
In September 2005, Bell and Boeing received a cost-sharing contract worth US$3.45 million from the U.S. Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate for an 18-month conceptual design and analysis study lasting through March 2007, in conjunction with the Joint Heavy Lift program. The contract was awarded to Bell Helicopter, which is teaming with Boeing's Phantom Works. The QTR study is one of five designs; one of the five is also a Boeing program, an advanced version of the CH-47 Chinook.
During the initial baseline design study, Bell's engineers were designing the wing, engine and rotor, while the Boeing team was designing the fuselage and internal systems. A similar arrangement is used on the V-22.
A one-fifth-scale wind tunnel model had undergone testing in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (a unique transonic wind tunnel) at NASA's Langley Research Center during summer 2006. The "semi-span" model (representing the starboard half of the aircraft) measured 213 inches in length and had powered 91-inch rotors, operational nacelles, and "dynamically representative" wings.
The primary test objective was to study the aeroelastic effects on the aft wing of the forward wing's rotors and establish a baseline aircraft configuration. Alan Ewing, Bell's QTR program manager, reported that "Testing showed those loads from that vortex on the rear rotor [are the] same as the loads we see on the front [rotors]," and "Aeroelastic stability of the wing looks exactly the same as the conventional tiltrotor". These tests used a model with a three-bladed rotor, future tests will explore the effects of using a four-bladed system.
Besides the research performed jointly under the contract, Bell had funded additional research and wind tunnel testing in cooperation with NASA and the Army. After submission of initial concept study reports, testing of full-scale components and possibly a sub-scale vehicle test program was expected to begin. Pending approval, first flight of a full-scale prototype aircraft was slated for 2012.
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Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor AI simulator
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Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor
The Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor (QTR) is a proposed four-rotor derivative of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey developed jointly by Bell Helicopter and Boeing. The concept is a contender in the U.S. Army's Joint Heavy Lift program (a part of Future Vertical Lift program). It would have a cargo capacity roughly equivalent to the C-130 Hercules, cruise at 250 knots, and land at unimproved sites vertically like a helicopter.
Bell developed its model D-322 as a quad tiltrotor concept in 1979. The Bell Boeing team disclosed a Quad TiltRotor design in 1999 which the companies had been investigating during the previous two years. The design was for a C-130-size V/STOL transport for the US Army's Future Transport Rotorcraft program and would have 50% commonality with the V-22. This design was to have a maximum takeoff weight of 100,000 lb (45,000 kg) with a payload of up to 25,000 lb (11,000 kg) in a hover. The design was downsized to be more V-22-based and to have a payload of 18,000 to 20,000 lb (8,200 to 9,100 kg). This version was referred to as "V-44". Bell received contracts to study related technologies in 2000. Development was not pursued by the US Department of Defense.
From 2000 to 2006, studies of the aerodynamics and performance of a Quad Tilt Rotor were conducted at the University of Maryland, College Park. This effort was initially funded by NASA/AFDD and subsequently by Bell. An experimental investigation in helicopter mode with ground effect found that it was possible to reduce the download on the aircraft from 10% of the total thrust to an upload of 10% of the thrust. A parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study confirmed these findings.
In September 2005, Bell and Boeing received a cost-sharing contract worth US$3.45 million from the U.S. Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate for an 18-month conceptual design and analysis study lasting through March 2007, in conjunction with the Joint Heavy Lift program. The contract was awarded to Bell Helicopter, which is teaming with Boeing's Phantom Works. The QTR study is one of five designs; one of the five is also a Boeing program, an advanced version of the CH-47 Chinook.
During the initial baseline design study, Bell's engineers were designing the wing, engine and rotor, while the Boeing team was designing the fuselage and internal systems. A similar arrangement is used on the V-22.
A one-fifth-scale wind tunnel model had undergone testing in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (a unique transonic wind tunnel) at NASA's Langley Research Center during summer 2006. The "semi-span" model (representing the starboard half of the aircraft) measured 213 inches in length and had powered 91-inch rotors, operational nacelles, and "dynamically representative" wings.
The primary test objective was to study the aeroelastic effects on the aft wing of the forward wing's rotors and establish a baseline aircraft configuration. Alan Ewing, Bell's QTR program manager, reported that "Testing showed those loads from that vortex on the rear rotor [are the] same as the loads we see on the front [rotors]," and "Aeroelastic stability of the wing looks exactly the same as the conventional tiltrotor". These tests used a model with a three-bladed rotor, future tests will explore the effects of using a four-bladed system.
Besides the research performed jointly under the contract, Bell had funded additional research and wind tunnel testing in cooperation with NASA and the Army. After submission of initial concept study reports, testing of full-scale components and possibly a sub-scale vehicle test program was expected to begin. Pending approval, first flight of a full-scale prototype aircraft was slated for 2012.