NASA Technical Memorandum 107578

A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF
TILTROTOR AEROELASTIC RESEARCH
AT LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER

Raymond G. Kvaternik

April 1992

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

L.anOIoyRosoat_ C_mt_r
Hampton, Virginia 23665-5225
 A Historical Overview of Tiltrotor Aeroelastic Research
at Langley Research Center

Raymond G. Kvatemik
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA

Abstract

The Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey which is being developed for the U. S.

Military is a tiltrotor aircraft combining the versatility of a helicopter with
the range and speed of a turboprop airplane. The V-22 represents a
tiltrotor lineage which goes back over forty years, during which time con-
tributions to the technology base needed for its development were made by
both government and industry. NASA Langley Research Center has made
substantial contributions to tiltrotor technology in several areas, in particu-
lar in the area of aeroelasticity. The purpose of this talk is to present a
summary of the tiltrotor aeroelastic research conducted at Langley which
has contributed to that technology.

A brief review of early work at Langley which is relevant to the subject

area is presented first. This work includes the propeller whirl flutter
studies conducted in the early 1960s and the studies carried out during the
mid- and late-1960s dealing with the whirl flutter behavior of both
propellers having blades with flapping hinges and high-bypass-ratio ducted
fan-jet engines. The major portion of the talk addresses the tiltrotor
aeroelastic studies which were conducted later, first (1968-1972) in support
of the program which led to the XV-15 tiltrotor technology demonstrator
and more recently (1984-1985) in support of the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft
development program. Illustrative results obtained from wind-tunnel tests
of several different tiltrotor models in the Langley Transonic Dynamics
Tunnel are presented and discussed. A Langley-developed tiltrotor
aeroelastic stability analysis called PASTA is described and correlations
with the aforementioned test results are presented. Current and planned
tiltrotor aeroelastic research at Langley is described in light of NASA's
proposed Advanced Tiltrotor Transport Technology Program.
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1. AGENCY USE ON'LY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DAT'E ' 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED

April 1992 Techni¢,IO M_moran_i_rn

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE $. FUNDING NUMBERS

A Historical Overview of Tiltrotor Aeroelastic

Research at Langley Research Center WU 505-63-36-01

6. AUTHOR(S)

Raymond G. Kvaternik

7. PERFORMING
ORGANIZATION
NAME(S)AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER

NASA Langley Research Center

Hampton, VA 23665-5225

9. SPONS()RI_IG / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING / MONITORING

AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, DC 20546-0001 NASA TM-107578

i, i= i
11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

This is a written version of a talk presented at the Fourth Workshop on Dynamics and Aeroelastic
Stability Modeling of Rotorcraft Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland,
November 19-21, 1991. , ,
12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITYSTATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE

Unclassified - Unlimited

Subject Category 39

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200words)

The Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey which is being developed for the U.S. Military is a tiltrotor aircraft
combining the versatility of a helicopter with the range and speed of a turboprop airplane. The V-22
represents a tiltrotor lineage which goes back over forty years, during which time conlributions to the
technology base needed for its development were made by both government and industry.
NASA Langley Research Center has made substantial contributions to tiltrotor technology in several
areas, in particular in the area of aeroelasticity. The purpose of this talk is to present a summary of the
experimental and analytical tiltrotor aeroelastic research conducted at Langley which has contributed to
that technology.

14. SUBJECT
TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES

Tiltrotor aeroelasticity; Langley Research Center;

Historical overview 16. PRICE COOS

A0_
17. _ SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSII_ICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION Z0. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT
OF REPORT OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT

Unclassified Unclassified
ii i

NS/_ 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev 2-89)

! Pte,,o'tbed by ANSI Std. Z]g-18
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