Abstract
SummaryThe paper considers the possibilities of a single type of VTOL vehicle—the compound rotorcraft—in the context of 1968 technology. Past and current compound programmes are reviewed in establishing technical status and include the XV-1, Fairey Rotodyne, Kamov KA-22, US Army Aviation Material Laboratories experimental compounds and the AH-56A (AAFSS).Qualitative characteristics of compound rotorcraft such as airframe vibration, gust response, landing and take-off characteristics, and safety are discussed and compared with both fixed- and pure rotary-wing aircraft.Characteristics such as cruise speed, vehicle lift/drag ratio, empty weight fraction, and maintenance are examined quantitatively for a 30-passenger compound rotorcraft, and appropriate limitations of these characteristics are discussed. Sensitivity of direct operating costs to changes in these characteristics is considered.The compound method of VTOL flight appears to offer great promise in both military and commercial fields, particularly as it can be applied to the inter-urban mass transport problem and to Army logistics and ground attack functions.
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