Project Zero - AgustaWestland Revolutionary demonstrator revealed :)

[chopper2004]

AgustaWestland Unveils Revolutionary ''Project Zero'' Tilt Rotor Techn (http://www.asdnews.com/mobile/news/47974/AgustaWestland_Unveils_Revolutionary___Project_Zero___Tilt_R otor_Technology_Demonstrator.htm)

http://www.asdnews.com/data_news/ID47974_600.jpg

[keesje]

It has been flying since two yrs and a light diesel engine is considered to feed the batteries.

I find it remarkable how AugustaWestland and everyone involved managed to keep this under cover for so long. Just like Eurocopter with their X2. Very uneuropean. I guess the main field of application will be militairy?

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getasset.aspx?itemid=49763

The formal unveiling at the AgustaWestland press conference on the eve of Heli-Expo comes several weeks after the concept was revealed in a patent application published on 31 January.

The patent filing shows a V-tailed vehicle identified as the "Convertiplane", with a top speed in forward flight of 270kt (500km/h) and a normal cruising altitude of 24,600ft (7,500m). The patent was assigned to James Wang, the vice-president of research and development.

Such an aircraft would boast twice the cruising speed, range, ceiling and endurance compared with a conventional helicopter, AgustaWestland claimed in the patent application.

Heli Expo 2013 (http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/military-aviation/48418-heli-expo-2013-a.html)

----

more info today!

The original photo above struck me as caught redhanded anyway, because of the distance, guys running around it, hardly a pose :)

Meanwhile the PR department put together a release.

http://www.agustawestland.com/sites/default/files/AgustaWestland/AW1038%20-%20Project%20Zero_1%20web.JPG

http://www.agustawestland.com/sites/default/files/AgustaWestland/AW1038%20-%20Project%20Zero_2%20web.JPG

“Project Zero� All-Electric Tilt Rotor Technology Demonstrator International Collaboration | AgustaWestland (http://www.agustawestland.com/node/6902)

[SansAnhedral]

So....elephant in the room...

Where is the flight performance data and/or footage?

They sure seem to be patting themselves on the back for designing and building it (in 6 months or 12 months, depending on which press release you read), why not tell the world just how great actually performs?

If it first flew in mid-2011 tethered, what's it been up to the past 2 years? :suspect:

*edit*

Also noticed this interesting little tidbit

The aerodynamic properties of the rotor blades were designed by AgustaWestland and Rotor Systems Research LLC of USA.

Rotor System Research LLC....a consultancy (with one of the most ridiculously laughable websites I have seen in ages) consisting of none other than John Leishman, who has for years espoused a staunch anti-tiltrotor mantra (I recall a particularly contentious AHS incident a few years back). Oh the irony!

[Vertical751]

Nice looking aircraft. ;)

[Lonewolf_50]

Looks pretty. :ok:

What's it do? (i.e., what mission/purpose is it intended to perform?)

I see it as a potentially handy vehicle for drug smuggling to places other than airfields, for one. :E Avoid those nosey customs inspectors, eh?

[TURIN]

What's it do? (i.e., what mission/purpose is it intended to perform?)


Replaces the F35B when it gets cancelled in next year's budget. :eek:



The demonstrator’s rotors are driven by advanced electric motors powered by rechargeable batteries; future hybrid solutions have also been investigated using a diesel engine to drive a generator. All of the aircraft control systems, flight control and landing gear actuators are electrically powered, removing the need for any hydraulic system.


I hope they're not Li-Ion. :eek:

[Lonewolf_50]

Thinking out of the box ... why not? :ok:
(True confession: you made me laugh). :8

[skadi]

What's it do? (i.e., what mission/purpose is it intended to perform?)

Acting in Avatar II :E

But nevertheless an interestig study! ( And prettier than the X3 )

skadi

[keesje]

I hope they're not Li-Ion

crossed my mind, most probably, the required energy storage density and dynamic performance no doubt gets you into tricky technology..

What's it do? (great spelling;) )

Carrying a significant load seems challlenging, I guess it mainly is a technology demonstrator.

If it is agile & can do 500 km/ hr & land on very small places, maybe defense, e.g escorting bigger helicopters. No doubt too expensive for wide commercial use.

I can imagine it being very quiet hovering (electric, ducted fans) and very noisy in forward flight (wing wake hitting the fans), like those fancy Piaggio's..

https://www.agustawestland.com/sites/default/files/AgustaWestland/AW1038%20-%20Project%20Zero_3%20web.jpg

[keesje]

Interestingly, if this machine indeed can fly 500 km/hr, the world helicopter speed record held by the X2 would be broken by an electrical powered machine.. :uhoh: remarkable.. or would it be in a different class?

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.luxist.com/media/2010/11/sikx2.jpg

[heli1]

Dear oh dear....Sikorsky spin wins again. The X2 is neither the worlds fastest helicopter ( see Bell compound Huey) nor does it hold the official speed record (see Westland Lynx G-LYNX).

[SansAnhedral]

The X2 is neither the worlds fastest helicopter ( see Bell compound Huey) nor does it hold the official speed record (see Westland Lynx G-LYNX).

Indeed....the FAI sure seems to be taking their sweet time certifying the flight (2 years ago now?)....if in fact it qualified.

[SansAnhedral]

Interestingly, if this machine indeed can fly 500 km/hr, the world helicopter speed record held by the X2 would be broken by an electrical powered machine.. remarkable.. or would it be in a different class?

If the project zero machine was considered the same category as the X2, then the X2 "record" would already have been demolished by the existing tiltrotor V22 and AW609.

[riff_raff]

....Carrying a significant load seems challlenging, I guess it mainly is a technology demonstrator..... keesje- That's the issue in a nutshell. This is a TD designed solely to appeal to the DARPA X-Plane program managers.

[cattletruck]

I bet it would go even faster if they removed the enormous parasitic drag caused by those duct rings. Who knows, the batteries may last longer too.

[Hover Bovver]

Looks like they have already removed them in the first picture .

[Dave_Jackson]

AgustaWestland is applying for 3 US Patents on this craft. Application Nbrs; 20130026303, 20130026304, 20130026305.
Claims in these applications have been previously, and publicly, discussed on this Rotorhead forum.

___________________________

This is a 'compressed' version of one claim.
"rotor .. being operable as .. an electrical power generator for re-charging said storage device ... by .. the action of a wind current.
Said .. rotor .. in a direction facing the wind current, when .. on ground and said storage device .. needs to be re-charged."

Some knowledgeable people on PPRuNe had a very, very serious discussion about this recharging concept in this 2006 thread (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/229063-buy-not-buy-question.html). :)


Dave

[Redland]

Bit more from BBC news on this nothing new really but a bit of a closer look

Link (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22965734)

wvvQ5C9VNnE

[SansAnhedral]

All this ballyhooed song and dance, and not a shred of performance data or flight footage.

Anyone else find that a tad suspect?

[Graviman]

https://vtol.org/vertiflite/project-zero/index.html#/2/

Hmmm, interesting - I especially like the bit about it using a diesel engine genset to power the fan motors! Does anyone know whether ORAL based the powertrain on the Wilsch WAM140 or the Austro AE300?

Looks to me like they are using the fan to pull air past the wings, so expect reasonable performance at low speeds with at least hover capability (disk loading will still be high). Those fans will be able to reduce rpm in cruise to make for very efficient pusher propellors without too many limitations imposed by tip speed. I wonder what cruise/dash speed they are aiming for?

Of course the real question is how well does it cope with engine failure (electric motors and batteries can go wrong too - see 787 experience). Those small lift fans will make for very high autorotation descent rates, and there is still going to be that velocity region where it is neither a helicopter nor an aeroplane.

Actually, the thing that does excit me is that the engineers have successfully flown an aircraft that has no mechanical transmission or swash plate. This technology is likely to find it's way into all sorts of other VTOL projects if it proves itself to be at least as reliable as other fly-by-wire technologies.

Mart

[Dave_Jackson]

SansAnhedral
All this ballyhooed song and dance, and not a shred of performance data or flight footage.

Anyone else find that a tad suspect?

Yes.

[Lonewolf_50]

If it didn't fly at the Paris airshow, then one wonders at the purpose of the display.

Hmmm ... attract investors? ;)

[vstol]

SansAnhedral
All this ballyhooed song and dance, and not a shred of performance data or flight footage. Anyone else find that a tad suspect

The full-scale aircraft has only hovered to date, but several subscale UAV versions have flown full transitions. Photo of the aircraft hovering and more info in the AHS Vertiflite article: https://vtol.org/vertiflite/project-zero.

Also, fyi, Dr. Wang (AW VP) showed a video of the aircraft development and testing -- as well as it hovering -- at the AHS Annual Forum in May.

[Dave_Jackson]

vstol

As I recall from the article in Vertiflite, the craft was hovering in ground effect. The wings would significantly increase this hovering ability.

It is a beautiful looking craft, but like the previous Tiltrotor and the Tiltwing configurations, a high induced velocity thrust from a small disk area is needed during cruise and a low induced velocity from a large disk area is needed during hover.


Dave


Here is one way to get a 2:1 change in the disk area. http://www.unicopter.com/Idea.gif Tandem to Coaxial

http://www.unicopter.com/2149_GoWithFlow.jpg

[vstol]

Dave, you are correct. For an aircraft to have efficient, long endurance hover capabilities, it needs a much larger disk area. Tiltrotors and tiltwings sacrifice hover efficiency for higher cruise speeds. There have been a number of studies of variable diameter tiltrotors; however the additional complexity and cost (on top of the already significant increases from a conventional helicopter) are showstoppers ... at least with today's technology.

Again, Project Zero is a "Technology Incubator" (tesbed), not a product. Although they have an artistic rendering of what an operational manned version might look like, it is currently not intended to ever be developed into a "real" program.

[Dave_Jackson]

vstol

There have been a number of studies of variable diameter tiltrotors;however the additional complexity and cost (on top of the already significant increases from a conventional helicopter) are showstoppers ... at least with today's technology.

Agreed. Even Sikorsky has about a dozen patents on Variable Diameter Rotors; Sikorsky's Variable Diameter Tiltrotor (VDTR) (http://www.unicopter.com/1621.html)


Dave

[IFMU]

How do wings increase hovering ability?

Bryan

[Dave_Jackson]

How do wings increase hovering ability?

Bryan,

Apparently, wings (and fuselage etc.) cause the rotorcraft to act somewhat like a hovercraft. In other words, the wings are subjected to an upward force.


Dave

[IFMU]

Dave,

Interesting, I see your point.

Bryan

[keesje]

An interesting observation in the video is that all fan blades can be steered independently.

In forward flight the wing wake on the rotor could cause serious noise / vibrations. Ref. the Piaggo's..

If you can adjust the blade angle the moment it hits the wake, maybe it could be reduced. Even aircraft pitch could be done without elevators. Kind of thrust vectoring by steering the fan blades independently..

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/969880_570197606357238_1486578719_n.jpg

[helihub]

Is it a bird?
Is it a plane?
No, It's Project Zero!

http://static.ow.ly/photos/original/2nx0G.jpg

[SansAnhedral]

It really has flown

In this case "flown" = hover IGE. The qualm is that its being so loudly touted by AW despite it not even having demonstrated a transition or conversion, the precise reason for the existence of any tiltrotor. A subscale UAV model (read: RC helicopter) of what is already a subscale demonstrator doesnt cut the proverbial mustard.

It would seem prudent to wait until successful flight testing was complete having flown something approaching an actual tiltrotor flight envelope to bandy it about as such a "successful design exercise".

My suspicion is that there have been numerous not-insignificant issues with the design.

[IFMU]

I don't believe is is a viable project, however this kind of exercise is exactly the kind of thing helicopter companies should sponsor to develop their engineering talent. This is especially true if they built it themselves, rather than farming it out. Sikorsky used to tout its Cypher UAV, which had pretty limited performance. Was great for publicity, recruiting, and development of talent. I see project zero in the same light.

James Wang is a Sikorsky alumni, a sharp engineer and a good R/C helicopter pilot.

Bryan

[SansAnhedral]

Funny how both Dr Wang and Dr Leishman were both heavily involved in this project (Wang coming from SAC), especially the latter with his very public disdain for the entire tiltrotor concept.

I suppose money talks, and Rotor Systems Research LLC is probably a nice tax shelter!