AVIC Blue Whale Tilt Rotor

[Triton]

Model of Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) consortium Blue Whale Tilt Rotor project on display at the Tianjin International Helicopter Exposition on August 29 - September 1, 2013. The Blue Whale is one of many future rotor projects by the AVIC Helicopter Design Institute expected to appear by 2030.

The Blue Whale is a four-engine quad tilt-rotor concept with a payload of 20 tonnes, a speed of 538 kh/h, a ferry range of 8,016 km and a combat radius of 815 km. It will be a vertical/short take-off or landing (V/STOL)-capable platform with redundant power distribution in the event of engine failure, composite material construction, advanced fly-by-light control systems, and 'intelligent' avionics that reduce pilot workload. The programme is reminiscent of the now dormant US Bell-Boeing V-44 Quad TiltRotor programme - an attempt to develop a V/STOL transport platform of the size and performance of a C-130 fixed-wing transport aircraft. The US project lost favour following weight increases in the new AFVs being planned for the US Army's Future Combat Systems programme, which in turn was cancelled in 2009.

Sources:

Chinese rotary-wing plans spur rise in stature of PLA Army Aviation forces | KASKUS

Z-10 attack helicopters are used by the recently formed PLA Army Aviation Thunder Flight aerobatic team. Source: Via Top81 website Revelations about China's advanced rotary-wing research programmes potentially point to the Army Aviation forces of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) becoming one...

www.kaskus.co.id

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[hesham]

Hi,


AVIC is one of wild company in China,great find my dear Triton.

 

[yasotay]

Well I'm sure the folks at Bell and Boeing are looking at this with wrinkled foreheads.
Shockingly similar to the original 20t quad tilt rotor they developed.

 

[Sundog]

Well I'm sure the folks at Bell and Boeing are looking at this with wrinkled foreheads.
Shockingly similar to the original 20t quad tilt rotor they developed.

Shockingly similar to the Bell X-22 as well.

 

[yasotay]

Interesting document regarding the "Blue Whale" and other technology advancement projects for China.

 

[F-14D]

Interesting document regarding the "Blue Whale" and other technology advancement projects for China.

Interesting document indeed. The statement regarding 20-25 years for Quad Tilt-Rotor to mature at first seemed ridiculous to me, but then I started thinking about the glacial pace at which we now develop anything. I'm firmly convinced we define development goals to reduce risk rather than advance technology.

 

[F-14D]

Well I'm sure the folks at Bell and Boeing are looking at this with wrinkled foreheads.
Shockingly similar to the original 20t quad tilt rotor they developed.

Probably wrinkled more in annoyance than in shock, given past history.

 

[yasotay]

Interesting document regarding the "Blue Whale" and other technology advancement projects for China.

Interesting document indeed. The statement regarding 20-25 years for Quad Tilt-Rotor to mature at first seemed ridiculous to me, but then I started thinking about the glacial pace at which we now develop anything. I'm firmly convinced we define development goals to reduce risk rather than advance technology.

Bureaucracies do not like risk. That would require the bureaucrats to put themselves at risk. This is the antithesis of what they are about. Trust me I am surrounded by them.

 

[x-copied]

As a chinese, I think we should solve the problem of the aircraft engine at first.

 

[Triton]

Source:
http://chinesemilitaryreview.blogspot.com/2014/02/chinese-blue-whale-quad-rotor-vertical.html

 

[yasotay]

I am adding this here because I don't want to start a thread on a silly notion. I saw the attached in a Twitter post. It even states it is a fantasy. I am curious if anyone knows if there is a Tilt Rotor program in China, beyond Blue Whale? The one in the attached pictures seems somewhat reminiscent of McDonnell-Douglas efforts before they folded. It seems overly complex as well.

 

[VTOLicious]

Another one. Most prob distributed electric propulsion + "auxiliary power unit"

 

[yasotay]

@Deino - as our resident China military expert, do you see the Chinese government really investing in military grade Tilt Rotor platforms? Given the challenges that have reduced western platforms to two (V-22 and BA609) with the Bell V-280 a possibility, I have to wonder if the central government is willing to make the investment.

 

[Deino]

@Deino - as our resident China military expert, do you see the Chinese government really investing in military grade Tilt Rotor platforms? Given the challenges that have reduced western platforms to two (V-22 and BA609) with the Bell V-280 a possibility, I have to wonder if the central government is willing to make the investment.

In fact I don't know, but my feeling tells me, they won't. There are several reports about "unique" and "different configuration" rotorcraft concepts but I expect at least for the next generation heavy-lift helicopter still something more traditional. Eventually the nect generation combat helicopter could be a surprise.

But that's more based on what my stomach tells me than on facts, since so far there are none known.

 

[yasotay]

@Deino - as our resident China military expert, do you see the Chinese government really investing in military grade Tilt Rotor platforms? Given the challenges that have reduced western platforms to two (V-22 and BA609) with the Bell V-280 a possibility, I have to wonder if the central government is willing to make the investment.

In fact I don't know, but my feeling tells me, they won't. There are several reports about "unique" and "different configuration" rotorcraft concepts but I expect at least for the next generation heavy-lift helicopter still something more traditional. Eventually the nect generation combat helicopter could be a surprise.

But that's more based on what my stomach tells me than on facts, since so far there are none known.

I agree, thank you.