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Old 6th Mar 2015, 14:46
  #116 (permalink)  
rjsquirrel
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: USA
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What is often missed on this concept is the awesome inefficiency of the tilt rotor type:

the 16,000 lb AW609 needs more power installed than the 21,000 lb Black Hawk, it weighs more empty weight, and it has a gross weight about 5000 lbs less, all lost payload.

It has no more range, dont be fooled by the fact that TRs have enormous fuel tanks as standard, where helicopters has smaller tanks. If the helicopters used even half the extra payload they have as takeoff fuel, they have more range than a tilt rotor.

Also don't be fooled by the speed hype, the best range speed of the 609 is nowhere near 275 knots, it is likely about 220 knots (don't try to find it in their material, that is a number they will tell you as you fly away after purchase!) The Best Range of the V22 is somewhere between 205 and 218 knots true airspeed.
And ask the question about Cat A performance. I don't think they have described what MGW it can have when PC2e from a small ground level heliport. Old Bell data said they needed about 1100 feet from a ground level heliport as Cat A landback, so stand by for the real info.

Does any of this mean the TR is not attractive? No, the speed and elan of the machine is awesome, but its reality is probably well inside its current hype. It niche will be smaller by far than the one folks have mapped out for it, I believe.
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