An earlier V-280 - rather than CL-84 or XV-15

[Archibald]

As said in the title. These three are fascinating because they are basically three different ways of doing the same thing: VTOL small transport with props.

- tilt the entire wing + engines + propellers (CL-84)

- tilt only the engines and the propellers (XV-15)

- tilt only the propellers (V-280)

Of the three, the V-280 looks the simplest / safest. I'm wondering why it didn't happened before 2020 ?

- lack of imagination ?
- or plain technical issues ?

 

[Hood]

Technical I think given the complexity of the linkage.
Even the V-280 looks to have a lot of gubbins below the propeller above the hinge line (reduction gear etc.) so its not exactly a tiny structure that is being moved. I'm still unconvinced FOD won't be an issue.

 

[Archibald]

There is certainly no easy way of moving 5000 hp of power*2 - from blowing vertically to blowing horizontally. Tilting the whole wing has stalls issues; tilting engines is not easy either (V-22 multiple carnages in the 90's and 2000's).