Twin-engine tiltrotor aircraft demonstrator
Next-Generation Civil Tiltrotor
|
|
Role
|
Tiltrotor
demonstrator
Type of aircraft
|
National origin
|
Italy
|
Manufacturer
|
Leonardo S.p.A.
|
Status
|
Under development
|
The
Leonardo Next-Generation Civil Tiltrotor
(
NextGenCTR
or
NGCTR
) is a
tiltrotor
aircraft demonstrator designed and developed by the Italian aerospace company
Leonardo S.p.A.
Studies for a two times larger tiltrotor than the
AgustaWestland AW609
started in 2000.
Since 2014, its development is sponsored by the
European Union
's
Clean Sky 2
program.
By May 2021, major components were under production
By 2023, the
maiden flight
had been pushed back to 2024, from a 2020 initial plan.
The 11 t (24,000 lb)
MTOW
, pressurised aircraft should seat 19 to 22 passengers, reach up to 330 kn (610 km/h) over a
range
of 500 nmi (930 km).
Initial requirements targeted lower costs than conventional
rotorcraft
.
The engines stay in a fixed position while the proprotors swivels independently, powered by a split gearbox.
Development
[
edit
]
During 1998, the European helicopter manufacturer
AgustaWestland
partnered with the American aerospace company
Bell Helicopters
to develop a production
tiltrotor
based on the earlier experimental
Bell XV-15
.
[1]
The resulting
AgustaWestland AW609
is the first civilian tiltrotor.
[2]
[3]
In 2000, AgustaWestland began studies for the
Next-Generation Civil Tiltrotor
(NGCTR), twice the size of the AW609.
[4]
In August 2014, the
European Union
launched its CleanSky 2 research initiative, to award contracts advancing aerospace technology.
[5]
AgustaWestland received $328 million through this programme towards the NGCTR, then in the detailed design study phase, while 60% of the funding was passed on to partners in the project,
[4]
along with the
Airbus RACER
compound helicopter.
[6]
By October 2014, the
maiden flight
was targeted for 2020.
[4]
New prop-rotor designs, new wing geometries, optimized engine configurations, lean manufacturing, low carbon footprint and other applicable technologies were evaluated.
[4]
By 2017, the first flight had been pushed back to 2023.
[7]
During September 2017, an
Italian Aerospace Research Centre
-led consortium was selected to design and produce the NGCTR's wing.
[6]
In 2018, Leonardo defined the rotorcraft's structural requirements with a
preliminary design review
released on 26 November, before a
critical design review
in 2019, the prototype's wing assembly in 2020.
[6]
The preliminary design review started in December 2018 and was scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2019, while the critical design review was pushed back to 2020 and prototype construction was then planned between 2021 and 2022.
[8]
In early 2019, Leonardo selected the
General Electric CT7
turboshaft to power the NGCTR demonstrator.
[9]
The wing was tested in a
windtunnel
for a second phase in early 2021.
[10]
By May 2021, major components of the demonstrator were under production by Leonardo and its partners ahead of final assembly.
[11]
Certification must comply with
EASA CS-25
for large airplanes and
CS-29
for large rotorcraft.
[12]
By 2023, first flight was planned for 2024.
[13]
Design
[
edit
]
The preliminary design concept, aimed at the
deepwater drilling
energy market, was of a
pressurized
aircraft with an 11 t (24,000 lb)
MTOW
to seat 19 to 22 passengers, reach up to 330 kn (610 km/h) over a
range
of 500 nmi (930 km) and up to a
ceiling
of 25,000 ft (7,600 m).
[4]
The initial requirements targeted direct operating costs that were 30% below those of conventional rotorcraft, while recurring costs were 50% below.
[14]
The CleanSky 2 performance objectives for 2020, compared to contemporary aircraft from 2000, were a 17% drag reduction, a 7% to 20% noise reduction, and a 250 nmi (460 km)
radius
flown in 1 hour 45 minutes, hover included.
[14]
By 2021, AgustaWestland intends to achieve comparable manufacturing and operating costs to those of conventional
helicopters
.
[15]
The wings will be made out of epoxy
carbon fiber
, their 12 m (39 ft) wingspan is broadly similar to that of the preceding AW609 tiltrotor, while the
chord
is roughly doubled to 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in). Each wing has two
control surfaces
:
flaperons
for lift and control, and another lowered during
vertical take offs
,
[6]
to reduce the exposed wing area to the propeller flow.
[12]
While compact, the wing's structure features a highly integrated
[
ambiguous
]
wingbox
of composite construction, permitting the large movable surfaces over half the wing chord.
[12]
[16]
The NGCTR's proprotors and wingtips are movable while the engines are static, unlike earlier tiltrotors, for better aerodynamic efficiency.
[12]
Power is delivered from the engines to the swiveling proprotor assemblies through a split gearbox.
[17]
[4]
Each composite rotorblades include a heat-generating layer for
ice protection
.
[18]
Specifications (NGCTR)
[
edit
]
Data from
Flightglobal
[19]
General characteristics
- Capacity:
18-25 passengers
- Powerplant:
2 ×
General Electric CT7
turboshaft engines, 1,490 kW (2,000 hp) each
See also
[
edit
]
Related development
Related lists
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Maisel, Martin D.; Giulianetti, Demo J.; Dugan, Daniel C. (2000).
The History of the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft
(PDF)
. Monographs in Aerospace History No. 17. NASA.
ISBN
0-16-050276-4
. NASA SP-2000-4517.
- ^
Frawley, Gerard (2003).
The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003?2004
. Aerospace Publications. p. 48.
ISBN
1-875671-58-7
.
- ^
"HELI-EXPO: Bell rules out future conventional military helicopter developments"
.
Flightglobal
. 29 February 2016.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Huber, Mark (5 October 2014).
"AgustaWestland Pushes Ahead with Larger Tiltrotor"
.
AIN Online
.
- ^
Dubois, Thierry (3 August 2014).
"European Commission, Industry Launch Clean Sky 2"
. AIN Online.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Perry, Dominic (21 November 2018).
"Italy combines capabilities for future tiltrotor"
.
Flight Global
.
- ^
Osborne, Tony (3 March 2017).
"Leonardo's Next-Gen Tiltrotor Targeting 2023 First Flight"
.
Aviation Week & Space Technology
.
- ^
Osborne, Tony (22 February 2019).
"Leonardo On Target for Tiltrotor Tech Demonstrator Flight"
.
Aviation Week & Space Technology
.
- ^
Perry, Dominic (8 February 2019).
"Leonardo picks GE CT7 engines for next-gen tiltrotor"
.
Flight Global
.
- ^
Perry, Dominic (5 February 2021).
"New windtunnel tests begin for next-generation civil tiltrotor project"
.
Flight Global
.
- ^
"Final Assembly Beckons For Leonardo Tiltrotor Tech Demonstrator"
.
Aviationweek
. 28 May 2021.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Belardo, M.; et al. (2 April 2021).
"Wing Structure of the Next-Generation Civil Tiltrotor: From Concept to Preliminary Design"
.
Aerospace
.
8
(102): 102.
doi
:
10.3390/aerospace8040102
.
- ^
Dominic Perry (7 March 2023).
"Twin tiltrotor milestones to slip into 2024, says Leonardo Helicopters"
.
Flightglobal
.
- ^
a
b
"Clean Sky 2 Fast Rotorcraft IADP Next Generation Civil TiltRotor"
(PDF)
. AgustaWestland. 16 September 2014.
- ^
Warwick, Graham (15 March 2021).
"Technology Infusion Expanding Market Opportunities For Vertical Flight"
.
Aviationweek
.
- ^
A. Marika Belardo; et al. (February 2020).
"Design strategy of the wing of the Next Generation Civil Tilt-Rotor Technology Demonstrator"
(PDF)
.
Mare Group
.
- ^
Bovalino, Yari (17 June 2019).
"Leonardo Next-Generation Civil Tiltrotor Demonstrator Powered by GE"
.
GE Aviation
.
- ^
"No-Ice Rotor"
.
ait.ac.at
. Retrieved
20 May
2022
.
- ^
Perry, Dominic (28 February 2019).
"Leonardo Helicopters advances on next-gen tiltrotor"
.
Flightglobal
.
External links
[
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]
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Agusta
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AgustaWestland/
Leonardo
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Meridionali/Agusta
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Aeroengines
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Other
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