Project Zero - AgustaWestland Revolutionary demonstrator revealed :)

[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]

It really has flown

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. Tandem to Coaxial

[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)


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..

[helihub]

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

[SansAnhedral]

Originally Posted by vstol

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!