Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
Boeing has begun initial development of an advanced tailless, four-engined tiltwing short take-off and landing military transport using company funds.
The company believes potential customers for the turboprop, which could be available within 10 to 12 years, include the US Air Force Special Operations Command, which has a requirement for a stealthy vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) transport.
The USAF has an MC-X requirement for a transport which would replace the Lockheed Martin MC-130 and AC-130 after the turn of the century. Boeing also hopes to generate interest from the US Marine Corps and the UK Royal Navy.
Officially known as the No-Tail Advanced Theatre Transport (NOTAIL ATT) Tiltwing Super Short Takeoff and Landing (SSTOL) Transport, the Douglas Products division project is nicknamed "Super Frog". Designed to carry up to four times the load of the rival C-130J, the 6.4m interior width fuselage, which is wider than that of a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, can accommodate one Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship, two Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche helicopters, 11 cargo pallets, or 40 soldiers.
The company also envisions tanker and weapons platform variants of the new design.
The tiltwing aircraft is designed to operate from austere runways which can be as short as 183m (600ft), one-third the required landing distance of the C-130J.
The wing pivots about a lateral axis near the rear wing spar. Wing tilt is used for take-off and landing to increase lift. During cruise, the wing is repositioned to a conventional fixed-wing configuration. Directional control of the tailless aircraft is similar to that of the Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bomber, which uses a system of split flaps.
Engineers at the company's Long Beach facility have completed initial windtunnel testing of a subscale model and Boeing plans further tests next year of a 7% scale model of the advanced aircraft. There are no plans to build a prototype yet, and Boeing has still to choose a turboprop engine.
Source: Flight International
