GKN Westland and Agusta are finalising a bid to the European Commission to fund a compound helicopter technology demonstrator. This signals the final break-up of the Eurofar consortium, which was created to develop a rival to Bell-Boeing's V-22 tiltrotor.
The UK company is also in discussions with the Ministry of Defence to reinstate military funding that was cut earlier for a compound programme. The twin- track approach is aimed at raising sufficient funding for a three-year flight demonstration programme using a modified Lynx helicopter.
"Our advance engineering department has spent a large amount of their time on this over the last couple of years. We've done everything we can with computer and windtunnel modelling, up to a point where we have to do a proof of concept," says John Teasdale, GKN Westland product marketing manager.
The Lynx testbed will be fitted with stub wings beneath the main rotor gearbox to provide compound lift. Re-engining the helicopter with twin Rolls-Royce Turboméca RTM322 turboshafts will provide excess power that will be converted to thrust via a variable area nozzle. GKN Westland hopes to achieve a speed of over 200kt (370km/h), 60kt faster than the R-R Gem-powered Lynx.
Eurocopter plans to seek European Commission funding for a large, 30-seat, tiltrotor development, which was earlier the subject of a collaborative study. "We're no longer supporting or proceeding with Eurofar. Neither Westland or Agusta [which are in the middle of a merger] will be joining with Eurocopter on their bid," says Yeovil-based GKN Westland.
The Lynx demonstrator is intended to prove technologies for a compound development of the much larger EH Industries EH101. GKN Westland says a compound helicopter will cost less than two-thirds of a Boeing Bell V-22 tiltrotor and will have a larger margin between empty and maximum operating weights.
A compound EH101 is being promoted as a Future Amphibious Support Helicopter candidate to replace the Royal Navy's GKN Westland Sea King HC4 utility machines from 2006 and, at a later date, Sea King AEW7 airborne early warning helicopters.
Source: Flight International
