Going Vertical At Oshkosh
by ANN Correspondent Chris Esposito
The concept of flying fast, and landing anywhere, has been
around since the dawn of flight. While modern jets offer the speed
we crave, the helicopter offers the ability to land anyplace you
could fit a car. Meshing the two forms of flight together has been
the dream of many, but two companies, through advances in
aerodynamics and technology, are making that dream a reality.
Carter Aviation Technologies has worked on a helicopter/airplane
hybrid for years, and recently achieved a goal of slowing the rotor
to mu-1. This ratio matches the rotor's tip speed to the aircraft's
forward speed, and effectively reduces the drag the rotor produces.
This means the "CarterCopter" can theoretically go much faster than
a conventional helicopter, which is limited by a condition known as
retreating blade stall.
Slowing the rotor down, and allowing the lifting surfaces of the
aircraft to take over helps to minimize that problem.
While the current
aircraft are capable of jump takeoffs, they are not able to hover
and thus are not "true" helicopters. Carter plans to build a
Heliplane Transport in the future which will have this capability
as well as the capability to haul large amounts of cargo. Carter
Aviation Technologies will be present at this year's Airventure,
and while their Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) prototype won't be ready
for flight until the end of the year, they will be displaying the
CarterGyro.
The CarterGyro is a heavily modified Butterfly autogyro (shown
below) built to demonstrate the many technologies and aerodynamic
advances now being used by Carter. The Carter Gyro will be at
Airventure July 27-29, and company founder Jay Carter will be
giving a forum at Airventure on July 28 at 2:30pm in Forum Building
1. He will be discussing progress on the PAV and will have photos
of the PAV's build progress.
The highlight of the CarterGyro flights will be a showcase
flight at show center on Friday, July 27. For the first time at
AirVenture, the CarterGyro will perform a 150' jump takeoff that
will demonstrate the capabilities of its unique rotor system. The
integration of the CarterGyro's new 26' high-inertia rotor system
allows it to store three times as much energy as conventional rotor
systems.
Also new on the CarterGyro is a patented mechanical rotor pitch
controller that, once engaged, provides for automatic pitch control
with no pilot input.
The CarterGyro will be flown by Rusty Nance, who has been with
the company since Carter's original gyroplane prototype, the CCTD.
Additional flights of the CarterGyro will be taking place in the
Ultralight/Rotorcraft area during normal rotorcraft flight
times.
Bell/Agusta's BA609 is another compelling entry in the emerging
heli-plane market. A civilian interpretation of the concepts
introduced on the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, the BA609 employs
tilt-rotor technology and is capable of hovering as well as
reaching a maximum cruise speed of 275 knots.
The BA609's Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67A Turboshaft engines pull
the aircraft to its maximum range of 750 nautical miles. Offering
configurations ranging from executive, law enforcement, and search
and rescue, the BA609 is aimed at a broad market. It also looks to
be the first aircraft available to offer the VTOL abilities of a
helicopter combined with the speed of a turboprop airplane.
A mockup of the aircraft (shown above, under construction) will
be on display at Oshkosh this year.
As always, AirVenture offers a glimpse into the future of
aviation. With the FAA adding the "Powered Lift" rating to the
books, it is clear that new technologically advanced aircraft such
as the BA609 are here to stay. The helicopter/airplane hybrid is
sure to add even more abilities to our country's law enforcement
and search and rescue operations, and will serve as a vital tool in
the corporate world as well.
It seems the dream of the high-speed helicopter is finally
becoming a reality.
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