NA- A

FACTS
Page 1
An Educational. Services Publication of the
., '
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
V/STOL ~ i r c r a f t @
Vol. II, No.3
N 64 27070
C-142 Tr iService transport (art ists' s concept ion ).
Aircraft capable of landing and taking off
vertically, or with a relatively short ground run,
are being studied by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration in a program called
V/STOL (pronounced VEE-stoll), for vertical or
short take-off and landing.
The helicopter is an example of such aircraft;
ability to operate from a small airfield is the
basic advantage.
NASA's role in the program consists of basic
and exploratory research on behalf of the mili-
tary and the aircraft industry, and applied reo
search for development of specific V/STOL
types.
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL)
is defined as one that takes off vertically,
changes from hovering to forward flight, cruises
to its destination, then hovers again and lands
vertically.
A short take-off and landing aircraft (STOL) is
one that takes off and lands-cruising to its desti-
nation meanwhile-from a relatively short runway
that one expert has defined as a 500-foot runway
with a 50-foot-high obstacle at each end.
Scores of possible V /STOL configurations have
been studied in this country, and development of
several of them has been carried as far as the
flight-test stage. One way to classify the pos-
sible types, so that they may be compared, is by
their method of converting from verti cal (or near
vertical) fl i ght to horizontal flight.
The first method is to TILT THE ENTIRE
AIRCRAFT.
The second method is to TILT ONLY THE
ROTORS, PROPELLERS, OR OTHER SOURCES
OF THRUST. The wings, if any, can be tilted
also, but the fuselage and the pilot remain in the
same position as when the aircraft took off.
--"".----.-----.-- -------- ----- ---",..c--
i
I
Page 2
Vol. II , No.3
c
~
D
Five VTOl concepts : (A) tilt rotor, (B) deflected slipstream,
(C) tilt duct, (0) deflected jet, and ( E) t ilt wing .
The third is to DEFLECT THE THRUST; the air
swept back by the propellers or exhausts is bent
downward, with wing flaps, for example, or
nozzles.
The fourth is DUAL PROPULSION-to have dif-
ferent engines (or sets of engines), one for lifting
and lowering the aircraft and one for driving it
horizontally.
Another way to classify V/STOL aircraft is ac-
cording to the source of thrust . The source of
thrust of a particular a"ircraft may be-( 1) rotor(s),
(2) propeller(s), (3) ducted fan(s), (4) jet ex-
haust(s), (5) a combination of some of these
means.
Aircraft have been considered that would pair
each of these source-of-thrust possibilities with
the previously mentioned methods of conversion
from vertical to horizontal flight. Before a dis-
cussion of some of the particular types, however,
let's glance briefly at some history of V /STOl re-
search in this country.
In 1921, Dr. Albert F. Zahm patented a ma-
chine with a special wing and flap arrangement to
deflect downward the propeller slipstream (the air
moved by the propeller). Here note the two re-
quirements for vertical take-off: first, the propeller
slipstream must be directed straight down, to pro-
duce the vertical thrust to lift the airplane straight
up; and second, this upward thrust must be
greater than the weight of the aircraft.
Dr. Zahm's airplane was never built. It met
the first of these requirements, but not the second.
There was then no airplane engine powerful
enough to produce a deflected propeller slip-
stream that could lift the aircraft. And because
during the 1920' s and early 30's no big improve-
ments in engine power were expected, designers
and inv entors in that period put aside any
thoughts of tilt-wing propeller V/STOL aircraft
and turned to the autogiro and the helicopter,
whose rotors could lift aircraft powered by the
engines then on hand or expected.
A rotor, in general, is a propeller that is larger
than usu al. Its blades are longer and broader.
Its lift varies with how much air it can move and
how fast it can move this air. The same amount
of lift can result whether you move a large mass
of air at a low speed or a small mass of air at a
high speed.
BUT the power consumed var ies with (1) the
mass and (2) the SQUARE of the speed. So, by
reducing the speed of the air and proportionately
increasing the mass of the air being moved, the
designer was able to get his airplane up with the
engines then in existence. This is why the first
V ISTOl aircraft-the autogiros and the heli-
copters-had large, slow-moving rotors.
In the late 1940' s the introduction of turbo-
prop and turbojet engines prompted another look
at V ISTOl airplanes other than helicopters.
V ISTOl research by the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics (predecessor of
NASA) began in 1950 with wind-tunnel tests
and flight research with small-scale models, and
it has increased rather steadily since. NASA's
two largest wind tunnels-one the 40- by 80-
foot tunnel at Ames Research Center in Cali-
fornia and the other the full-scale tunnel at
langley Research Center in Virginia-are now
devoted largely to VTOl studies. Another
facility is the 17-foot test section built i nto one
of the langley 7- by 10-foot tunnels.
~ - - - - - - - -
I
I
I
~
~
~
!
~
I
I
)
Vol. II, No.3 Page 3
HELICOPTERS
A substantial part of NASA's V ISTOL work is
on helicopters. At present the helicopter is the
only operational VTOL aircraft, at least in the
United States.
Because of its relatively low slipstream veloci-
ties and hovering power requirements, the heli-
copter is best suited for missions requiring lengthy
periods of hovering-such as rescue work involv-
ing the lifting of people from the ground in the
open air, and for operation from unprepared
bases, where higher slipstream velocities cause
trouble from ground erosion and flying dust and
debris.
under certain weather conditions, (5) inefficient
cruising operation, and (6) slow cruising speed
(less than 200 m.p.h. maximum).
NASA is doing research to reduce helicopter
vibration and maintenance problems and to im-
prove the flying qualities. One study at Langley
deals with factors involved during the transition
from steep approach to vertical touchdown and
during blind hovering with the Vertol YHCl A, a
large modern twin-turbine helicopter. This air-
craft is fitted with variable-stobility equipment,
which allows wide variations in flying and han-
dling characteristics, and with special navigation
and pilot-display instruments that should produce
For this reason the helicopter will probably con-
tinue to be the best vehicle for certain missions in
spite of the disadvantages inherent in its design.
Among these disadvantages are (1) mechanical
complexity, (2) higher maintenance costs, (3) vi-
bration and noise, (4) difficult flying qualities
Vertol YHCIA helicopter .
McDonnell XV-l compound helicopter.
significant data on blind or instrument-flight con-
ditions-for other V/STOL aircraft as well as
helicopters.
The "compound" helicopter, which has a con-
ventional fixed wing to improve its cruise per-
formance and a separate propulsion unit for for-
ward flight, is again receiving serious attention
from the U.S. military services. The concept has
been flight evaluated in the past with the MeDon.
nell XV- 1 and the Fairey Rotodyne vehicles, and
is being studied currently by Bell Helicopter with a
modified UH- 1 helicopter.
--------
I
Page 4
Vol. II, No.3
VTOl research models (propeller types).
PROPELLER CONFIGURA liONS
The four-part illustration above shows some of
the models NASA has used in exploratory re-
search in the propeller VTOL transport field. The
two models on the left are deflected-slipstream
VTOL configurations, and have large flaps to de-
flect the slipstream downward and produce the
lift for vertical take-off and hovering flight. This
type is probably not very promising for VTOL use,
the research indicates, because of the thrust lost
when the flaps deflect the slipstream and because
of certain ground-effect and trim problems, but
it works very well in STOL operations.
The model at the upper right is a tilt-wing type.
The wing and propellers are in the position shown
at take-off and landing, and they rotate down to
the normal pasition in cruising flight. This con
figuration is good for VTOL use, but is not as
good for STOL aircraft as the type with large
flaps.
The model at the lower right represents a com-
bination VTOL-STOL machine with a tilt wing and
a moderate-size flap that is effective in low-speed
flight. It combines the best features of the other
models and is a promising V/STOL design.
The illustration on page 5 shows a large-scale,
tilt-wing general-research model being studied in
the Langley full-scale tunnel to investigate sta-
bility and control characteristics, wing and flap
loads, and effects of wing and propeller changes
for hovering, transition, and forward flight.
Similar studies on other research models have
been completed or are scheduled in the Ames
40- by aO-foot and the Langley 7- by 10-foot
tunnels.
Wind-tunnel research model studies of the tilt-
wing VTOL concept have received much of
NASA's V/STOL efforts, and the resulting data
contributed to the design of a tilt-wing for the
Tri-Service C-142 transport, for the Army, Navy,
and Air Force. This aircraft, being built by the
Vought.Ryan-Hiller Companies in combination, is
scheduled for initial flight in 1964.
___ .... ..._ _________ _ _
Vol. II, No.3 Page 5
I largescale tiltwing model in wind tunnel.
DUCTED FAN CONFIGURATIONS termine performonce, stobility, and control is
/ scheduled.
A ducted fan is a propeller surrounded by a
. ring, or duct, which changes the shape of the slip-
stream. Behind the conventional propeller the
stream tapers to about half its original area, a
change that reduces the thrust. Use of the duct
prevents this tapering, so that a given thrust can
be produced with a smaller propeller. The duct
also serves as a safety device.
The Navy feels that the duded-fan concept
may have special advantages for aircraft carrier
use because aircraft with ducted fans tend to be
smaller. For this reason, another Tri-Service
vehicle that is now under development is the X-22
tilt-duct aircraft. limited NASA research, includ-
ing general wind-tunnel model studies and a han.
dling-quality study, has been conducted on this
concept. Additional wind-tunnel research to de-
JET CONFIGURATIONS
Turbine engine technology has reached the
point that turbojet engines capable of lifting
twenty ti mes their own weight are now feasible.
A lift as great as that would make hovering pos-
sible with almost any aircraft configuration the
designer wished. Because of this and of the an-
ticipated military requirement for higher-speed
V/STOL aircraft, a great many new designs have
been proposed recently for jet VTOl types.
However, the use of jet engines for VTOllift-
ing and hovering has some considerable disad-
vantages. Among them are extra weight, high
cost, complexity, a high rate of fuel consumption,
a great volume of noise, and the fact that the high
velocity and temperature of the exhaust gases
Page 6
may require special landing pads or ground
processing.
Two basic jet types are being studied. In one,
the engine provides both the lift for take-off and
hovering and the thrust for forward flight. An
example of this type is the Hawker Pl127 de-
flected-jet aircraft. In the second type, two
kinds of engines are provided. The Dassault
Balzac is an example; lift is provided by eight
Rolls-Royce RB 108 engines and thrust by one BS
Orpheus engine. NASA wind-tunnel studies of
small-scale general research models are under
way.
The General Electric Company has devel-
oped a wing-fan configuration in which the
exhausts of the jets necessary for high-speed flight
are used to drive large fans and produce vertical
lift. Extensive large-scale wind-tunnel studies,
conducted at the Ames Research Center, have
helped development of the GE-Ryan XV-5A air-
craft, which began flight-testing in 1964. The
lockheed Aircraft Corporation has developed
another system of fuselage jet thrust augmenters
for VTOl operation. This has been incorporated
in the XV-4A, also undergoing flight evaluation.
FLIGHT RESEARCH PROGRAM
Under a 1958 agreement, seven research
vehicles which the military services had built to
study various V ISTOl lift-propulsion concepts
were later turned over to NASA for research in-
vestigations at langley or Ames, following func-
tional demonstrations by the manufacturers.
These airplanes were sponsored and financed
by the military services to obtain preliminary in-
formation on VTOl airplane flying qualities. Re-
search airplanes of this kind are sometimes called
"flying test beds." Simple and usually crude-
looking, they provide a relatively inexpensive
means of gathering flight research data.
Most of these aircraft were studied in the
NASA full-scale tunnels and several received (or
are receiving) extensive flight research evaluation.
The illustration above shows the Vertol VZ-2
tilt-wing test bed in flight at langley. NASA
___ c
Vol. II, No.3
studies of this and other flying test beds provided
by the military services have thrown much light
on V/ STOL flying and handling-quality require-
ments.
The first part of NASA's program was com-
pleted in 1961 . Wing-stall and control deficien-
cies encountered in that study led to additional
wind-tunnel research, which resulted in modifica-
tions to the aircraft. The results of these pro-
grams should aid in the development not only of
the C-142 but of future, more-advanced tilt-wing
aircraft as well.
Vertol VZ-2 tilt-wing model being flown ot Longley.
Particularly valuable information has been ob-
tained from the X-14 deflected-jet test bed.
Modified to include variable stability and control
features, it continues to be used as a flight simu-
lator of the characteristics of other aircraft not yet
flown or built. Other test-bed aircraft flight-
tested by NASA are the Doak VZ-4 tilt-duct, the
Ryan VZ-3 deflected-slipstrea m, and the Bell
XV-3 tilt-rotor aircraft.
Page 7
GE-Ryan XV-5A wing-fan aircraft (artist's conception) .
Bell X-22 tilt-duCT aircraft (artist's conception) .
STOl
Although only a small percentage of the NASA
funds now appropriated for V/ STOL research
goes into STOl work specifically, it should be
remembered that much of what is learned about
VTOl aircraft applies to STOl aircraft also. For
example, the tilt-wing VTOl type is expected to
be an excellent STOl aircraft as well, and it will
be used as such, for economy and safety reasons,
unless the particular operating site demands
VTOloperation.
Specific STOl flight research programs are
under way at Ames on two aircraft. One is the
VZ-3 deflected-slipstream mentioned earlier.
The other is the C-130C transport airplane that
Page 8
Vol. II, No.3
Lockheed C- 130C transport .
utilizes boundary-layer control (in this case, blow-
ing of air over the flaps to prevent separation of
the airflow) to obtain higher lift and steeper take-
offs and landings. In the current program, han-
dling qualities at very low speeds (about 60
knots) are being evaluated.
An especially promising example of a STOl
vehicle is the Breguet 941 deflected-slipstream,
inter-connected-propeller aircraft. Recent NASA
flight and simulator studies indicate that this con-
cept may have a good deal to offer in applica-
tions for various military and civil uses.
NASA FACTS Number- Volume I of NASA FACTS consists of all issues published
prior to July 1964 and running from A-62 to 8-2-64. Volume 1/ begins with
NASA FACTS, Interplanetary Explorer Satellites, Vol. II, No.1 .
NASA FACTS format is designed for bulletin-board display
uncut, o r for 8 x lOY; looseleaf notebook insertion when
cut along dotted lines and folded along solid lines. For
notebook ring insertion, punch at solid dots in the margins.
NASA FACTS is an educational publication of NASA' s Division
of Educational Programs and Services. It will be mailed to
addressees who request it from: NASA, Educational Publica-
tions Distribution Center, AFEE- l, Washington, D. C., 20546.
U S GOVERNMENT PRI NTI NG OFF ICE 1964 0 F-732-S82
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. , 20402 - Price 15 cents per copy