The Boeing Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.) has won three competitive proposals, resulting in U.S. Army Technology Investment Agreements with a combined value of more than $19 million (USD). The agreements, with the Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, cover applied research and development in sup-port of the Rotor Durability Army Technology Objective (ATO) and the High Performance Rotary Wing Vehicle Designs (HPRWVD) program. The three projects will investigate helicopter rotor blade performance and improvement.
“This research will provide near-term solutions to support the Army’s immediate needs to keep blades in service longer, enhance capabilities for the current fleet and lay the groundwork for future advanced rotorcraft designs,” says Pat Donnelly, director of Boeing Advanced Rotorcraft Systems.
Under the first agreement, Boeing will work to improve the durability and performance of helicopter rotor blades by developing and testing permanent blade-erosion protection, reliable and maintainable icing protection, plus improved blade repairability and in-creased rotor performance concepts, using the company’s Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) wind tunnel near Philadelphia, Pa. The second agreement calls for the design and initial evaluation of an unloaded, lift-offset rotor system that includes a nonrotating wing positioned above the rotor to provide lift in forward flight. The system is projected to meet or exceed the Army’s vibration- and noise-reduction goals while enabling higher speeds. Boeing will design and test a new four-blade rotor hub for the lift-offset rotor program, as well as a conventional rotor design and vibration- and noise-reducing on-blade flaps to support a lower-risk solution for future versions of the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter.
The third agreement involves eval-uating and demonstrating new, more reliable methods of transferring power and data across the nonrotating airframe to the rotating blade interface.
Boeing Advanced Rotorcraft Systems will conduct the research required to fulfill the three new agreements at its facilities in Philladelphia and in Mesa, Ariz.