Bell D303 tilt-rotor

Triton

Triton

Donald McKelvy
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Artist's impression of Bell D-303 titlrotor.

Via Internet Archive:

Using the same amount of fuel as a helicopter, able to fly twice as fast and twice as far. Design is for ideal use on the North Sea. Projected to be operational by 1990.
  • Unloaded Weight: 5,460 kg.
  • Capacity: 16-20 passengers
  • Application Equipment (6,087 kg.): snow and ice removal, pressure ventilation, emergency equipment, additional avionics
  • Crew Weight: 154 kg.
  • 16 Passengers' Weight: 1452 kg.
  • Fuel and Oil Weight: 1,374 kg.
 

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So what's that mounted on top of the fuselage, the single engine? It seems like you'd want the first civil tilt-rotor to have more than one engine and that placing it over the cabin would have a whole lot of disadvantages.
 
You'll find the answer in Stingray's Rotorcraft Forum (http://stingraysrotorforum.activeboard.com/t37000854/bell-aircraft/?page=3&r=406041)

"..For this project, Bell selected three General Electric T700 engines in order to comply with FAA and CAA one-engine
inoperative requirements. Two of these engines were used to drive the three-blade tilting rotors, the third one was on
the back of the fuselage in a horizontal position."

Another picture of this configuration via http://www2.ucatv.ne.jp/~kojik.sky/Dseries.htm from vstol.org :
 

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Greetings All -

Here's a color version of the artist's rendition:

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1222.120.html

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 
Jemiba said:
You'll find the answer in Stingray's Rotorcraft Forum (http://stingraysrotorforum.activeboard.com/t37000854/bell-aircraft/?page=3&r=406041)

"..For this project, Bell selected three General Electric T700 engines in order to comply with FAA and CAA one-engine
inoperative requirements. Two of these engines were used to drive the three-blade tilting rotors, the third one was on
the back of the fuselage in a horizontal position."

Another picture of this configuration via http://www2.ucatv.ne.jp/~kojik.sky/Dseries.htm from vstol.org :
Click to expand...

From Aviation magazine 1981.
 

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taildragger said:
So what's that mounted on top of the fuselage, the single engine? It seems like you'd want the first civil tilt-rotor to have more than one engine and that placing it over the cabin would have a whole lot of disadvantages.
Click to expand...
I am guessing that the third (fuselage-mounted) engine drives into a combining gear box that is mid-span on the cross-shaft that connects the left-hand rotor with the right-hand rotor.
 

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