Future Helicopters

[KevinB]

The big difference in the Valour is that the shaft tilts not the entire engine. When you tilt engines we all know that gravity starts messing with your fuel, lubricant feeds, combustion suffers etc... tilting the shaft is a different set of problems but largely easier to deal with than an entire engine.

Agreed, and Bell has been doing it best to distance themselves from the Osprey debacles.
But when Congress sees a tilt rotor - the visual is apparent, and the distinction lost of the vast majority.

 

[ytz]

It was my (albet limited) understanding that the nTACS requires a multi platform approach. Some crewed and some uncrewed.

Not the version of the study I've read which was mostly just a survey laying out what is currently developing to help inform some requirements and doctrine development. I'd say we're pretty far away from considering unmanned rotorcraft outside of some specific surveillance roles given the horizons involved. The Griffon replacement needs to be entering service by 2035. That doesn't leave a ton of room for broad implementation of unmanned rotorcraft for large payloads and long distances.

There is also a strong emphasis on range for Arctic and long Canadian flights, both for arctic operations and disaster response. Some of this was likely developed more recently given Ukraine and the sudden shift in Arctic operations.

I'm not sure this "emphasis" on range is particularly special to Canada. The very nature of next-generation rotorcraft is that they are longer ranged and faster. The Chinook has a range of 400 nmi and a speed of 170 knots. The V-280 Valor can do at least 500 nmi and 280 knots.

 

[Underway]

I'd say we're pretty far away from considering unmanned rotorcraft outside of some specific surveillance roles given the horizons involved.

Who said rotorcraft? next Tactical Aviation Capability... doesn't restrict you to just rotorcraft.

As one doesn't replace a platform, one replaces a capability, I expect them to replace all the capabilities of the Griffon and add more capabilites. To do that we're going to need more than one type of platform. Some of which will be fixed wing.

Also, former CO of 450 sqn stated in an interview "We're going to replace the Griffon with a system of systems, its probably multiple fleets and probably a mix of manned and unmanned systems"

Also there is a focus on lethal effects (probably a variety of them), range, interoperability with allies and survivabiilty. There was also discussion that airbases may get consolidated if the range increases for these systems, alowing for a refocus on infrastructure. Not sure how that would work...

 

[Good2Golf]

I'm not sure this "emphasis" on range is particularly special to Canada. The very nature of next-generation rotorcraft is that they are longer ranged and faster. The Chinook has a range of 400 nmi and a speed of 170 knots. The V-280 Valor can do at least 500 nmi and 280 knots.

Where does the 400nm range for a CH-147F come from?

 

[calculus]

Where does the 400nm range for a CH-147F come from?

According to the link below, the range is actually somewhat higher (1200 KMs, or about 650 NM). I think ours have the larger tanks and from what I have heard quite a number of features that were subsequently incorporated into the Block 2 versions.

CH-147F Chinook - Aircraft - Royal Canadian Air Force - Canada.ca

Description of the CH-147F Chinook

www.canada.ca

 

[KevinB]

Where does the 400nm range for a CH-147F come from?

Bell’s literature.

 

[KevinB]

Ospreys having issues. Military pauses Osprey flights again after near crash

 

[armrdsoul77]

AP deep dive on Osprey:
Osprey's safety issues spiked over five years and caused deaths. Pilots still want to fly it

"It’s an aircraft with a huge amount of performance packed into a very compact space. What that means is that it’s a real hot rod to fly,” said Richard Brown, a rotorcraft specialist at Sophrodyne Aerospace. “But it also has these foibles which are baked into the design.”

 

[Kirkhill]

AP deep dive on Osprey:
Osprey's safety issues spiked over five years and caused deaths. Pilots still want to fly it

"It’s an aircraft with a huge amount of performance packed into a very compact space. What that means is that it’s a real hot rod to fly,” said Richard Brown, a rotorcraft specialist at Sophrodyne Aerospace. “But it also has these foibles which are baked into the design.”

Need to separate passenger pilots from cargo pilots based on the Maverick pathology.

....the need for speed.