Dynamic Response of the XC-142A Tilt-Wing V/STOL Aircraft to in-Flight Cargo Delivery at Slow Speeds

摘要

The potential ability of V/STOL aircraft to perform Army drop missions at various altitudes while flying at speeds from hover to conventional flight could provide a basis for precision in-flight delivery and could overcome major operational restrictions associated with many of the conventional air-drop techniques. The study was partially based on actual air-drop demonstrations. Single cargo loads of up to 3,000 pounds were gravity dropped in hover and at 30 knots, and loads of up to 4,000 pounds were extracted by parachute at 127 knots. Using these flight data to set up a realistic simulation, a mathematical model of the XC-142A airplane and a human pilot were used to examine the aircraft's response with cargo weights up to the airplane's maximum payload of 8,000 pounds in the low-speed portion of transition and 12,000 pounds at a 127-knot flight condition. The study shows that the maximum payload could be successfully dropped with proper pilot technique. Means of extending the airplane's air-drop capability through the use of special extraction forces and parameters applicable to the air-drop system were studied. (Author)