Page 12 - AAA MARCH - APRIL 2014 Online Magazine

FEATURE VTOL

Next Generation VTOL

Novel design of the X-Plane concept By J K Chandra

thE quEst to EnablE radical and innovative engineers to concurrently
improvements in Vertical Takeoff and push the envelope in four areas: speed,
Landing (VTOL) flight took an important hover efficiency, cruise efficiency and
step last month, when the U.S Defense useful load capacity.”
Advanced Research Projects Agency Boeing is offering its ‘Phantom Swift’
(DARPA), awarded prime contracts for for the competition, and last year went
Phase 1 of its VTOL X-Plane competition from scaled model to flying prototype in
to four companies. Heavyweights Boeing less than a month. According to Phantom
and Sikorsky made the cut along with two Swift chief engineer Perry Ziegenbein “A
lesser known companies, Aurora Flight picture is worth a thousand words, a flying
Sciences Corporation and Karem Aircraft, model is worth a million words. No matter
Inc. All the designs proposed to DARPA what words you put in a proposal, having
were for unmanned platforms but DARPA hardware that you can demonstrate
stresses that “the technologies that VTOL that they can tangibly see what’s being
X-Plane intends to develop could apply proposed goes a long way toward winning
equally well to manned aircraft.” that proposal”. ‘Phantom Swift’ features
“For the past 50 years, we have design innovations with fans in the
seen jets go higher and faster while fuselage and tilt wing fans that aid lift and
VTOL aircraft speeds have flat-lined control, addressing controllability issues
and designs have become increasingly faced by earlier ducted fan designs.
complex,” says Ashish Bagai, program Sikorsky Innovations, the technology
manager at DARPA. “To overcome this development organization of Sikorsky
Boeing VTOL problem, DARPA has launched the VTOL Aircraft Corp teamed up with Lockheed
X-Plane Concept X-Plane program to challenge industry Martin Skunk Works to come up with its
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