Technical Paper
High Speed VSTOL on the Horizon - The Answer to Congestion?
1991-09-01
911976
High speed VSTOL aircraft that can cruise between 300 and 400 knots are becoming technically and economically feasible. As civil transports, they could help relieve congestion at major airports around the world. Demonstrator vehicles have proven that tilt wing and tilt rotor aircraft can meet performance expectations. Advances in propulsion, materials, flight controls and avionics places aviation on the threshold of truly practical and cost effective high speed VSTOL aircraft. The Bell XV-15 tilt rotor and the Canadair CL-84 tilt wing aircraft were successful demonstrators. They are nearly identical in size, weight and available power; thus, there is a good opportunity to make realistic capability comparisons. Future markets for tilt wing and tilt rotor aircraft range from small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV'S) to large 40-passenger transports. Above this size it becomes more practical to use a tilt wing STOL design.