The company Boeing received money to create an aircraft Phantom Swift
The grant that was received by Boeing 26 on August 2014, is already the second. IHS Jane's told reporters about this from a company spokeswoman Deborah Van Nierop. In 2013, four competitor companies that are working on the development of a promising aircraft received 130 million dollars from the US Department of Defense. It is reported that most of the work on the construction of Phantom Swift will be performed at the company's plant in Ridley Park, located in the state of Pennsylvania.
It should be noted that the program has received the designation X-Plane, was launched by the agency DARPA last year. As part of this program, it is planned to develop a new aircraft, which would be distinguished by increased flight speed and the ability to hover in the air. According to the technical assignment issued by four US companies, the cruising speed of the X-Plane device should be 556-741 km / h, and the efficiency in the hover mode should increase from traditional 60% to 75%. At the same time, aerodynamic quality when flying at cruising speed should increase from 5-6, to at least 10 units. Also, the military made strict demands on the carrying capacity of the machine. The new aircraft must easily raise to 40% of its total take-off weight (4,5-5,5 tons).
Of the four candidate companies, only Boeing was able to submit to the experts for review an already ready (albeit on the 1: 6 scale) model, which, moreover, was already tested in flight. In total, four companies are working on the creation of a promising aircraft: Sikorsky, Aurora Flight Sciences, Karem and Boeing, each of which is ready to present its solution to the military . It is reported that the stage of preliminary analysis of all presented structures will last until the end of 2015 of the year.
The “Phantom Swift” aircraft can take off and land vertically, as well as hover in the air like a normal helicopter, while possessing a very high flight speed - 550-740 km / h. According to Brian Ritter, the Boeing program manager for the creation of this aircraft, in order to meet the requirements of the technical specifications of DARPA in the project decided to use the screws installed in the ring fairings.
The aircraft Phantom Swift is equipped with two large-sized fan-lift engines that are installed inside its fuselage. These engines are used to create lift during takeoff, landing machines, as well as when hovering in the air. Horizontal thrust is created using two rotary fan motors that are installed at the ends of the wing. Thus, after taking off and speeding up in helicopter mode, large fan motors in the fuselage are shut off and closed with special flaps. Closing the engines installed in the fuselage is carried out to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft. After that, the device makes a flight due to the thrust of small engines and the lifting force of its wing.
It is reported that the full-size version of the Swift Phantom advanced aircraft will have a length of 13,4 meters, a width of 15,2 meters and a weight up to 5450 kg. At the same time, the device must carry a payload of at least 40% of its total mass. A unique feature of the device is the use of screws, which are located in the ring fairing - both at the ends of the rotary wing consoles and built into the fuselage. This solution improves controllability, provides the device with a high flight speed and a more efficient hovering mode.
Someone the design of the aircraft PhantomSwift may not seem quite rational, as for most of the flight lift engines are turned off and represent a "dead weight", which simply eats the scarce volume inside the fuselage of the device, and therefore reduces the possible payload. It is reported that the serial version of the device will receive lightweight and compact all-electric drives that do not require a cumbersome transmission, which partially can solve the problem with the “eaten” volume. However, at present, such technologies are not yet available, so the first full-size prototype will be obtained by the General Electric gas turbine engines CT7-8. Such engines are currently used on Sikorsky S-92 helicopters. In the long run, they will be replaced with all-electric units.
Boeing’s Phantom Swift should be a faster and more reliable alternative to existing helicopters and V-22 Osprey converters. A prospective aircraft will be able to get to a given point about 3 times faster than a regular helicopter. In manned or unmanned version, the machine will be able to deliver various cargoes to the front line, provide fire support to troops, conduct reconnaissance, and evacuate the wounded. In addition, PhantomSwift will be unique maneuverability. For example, hovering on large lifting engines installed in the fuselage, the device will be able to almost instantly make a turn on the spot, change the hull inclination, its height, and quickly pick up speed in any direction of flight. All these qualities are very important for assault aircraft, they are also particularly useful when working in difficult conditions, for example, urban development.
Since the agency DARPA did not specify, unmanned or manned aircraft they need, all companies submitted projects that suggest the possibility of working in both versions. Along with this, Ritter noted that the Boeing company considers it appropriate to give preference to the manned PhantomSwift variant, on the basis of which the company expects to create a whole family of new aircraft. At the same time, the US Department of Defense has not yet decided on the most successful project, the military has yet to choose the winning company among the four participating in this project. The flight tests of the winner’s company sample should take place approximately in the 2017 or 2018 year.
Information sources:
http://zoom.cnews.ru/rnd/news/top/boeing_postroit_letatelnyj_apparat_novogo_tipa
http://www.aviaport.ru/digest/2014/07/02/294555.html
http://vpk-news.ru/articles/20988
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