The nice thing about egotists is that they don't talk about other people. ====================================================== Count Hermann Keyserling once said truly that the greatest American superstition was the belief in facts.
A similar propulsion concept like the Br 1030 was studied with Hurel and Bertin (q.v.) in 1962. The gear retracted into the wing tips to permit the wings to house the lift fans.
Power: three probably based on the Hispano-Suiza R 800
The nice thing about egotists is that they don't talk about other people. ====================================================== Count Hermann Keyserling once said truly that the greatest American superstition was the belief in facts.
At the end of the 1950s, the French Army showed an interest in flying vehicles for troop transports, assault and reconnaissance, but expecting them to be simpler than helicopters.
The first project was a twin-rotor system with a pusher propeller in a ducted ring at the rear
Lift Power: two Turboméca Astazou turboshaft engines producing 400 hp each (300 kW)
Cruise Power: Solar Aircraft Company T66 (then under development by the US Navy for its flying platform designs) turboshaft provided 55 hp (41 kW) to the pusher propeller.
Total thrust: 2,300 kg (5,070 lb); 1.26 thrust to weight ratio
Propellers: pusher propeller in a ducted ring at the rear
Speed: 72 km/hr (38.9 kt)
Maximum Altitude: 1,200 m (3,900 ft)
VTOL Range: 72 km (38.9 nm) or 1 h endurance
Width: ~ 3 m
Length: ~ 5.5 m
Height: ~ 2.6 m
Empty Weight: 1,050 kg (2,315 lb)
Gross Weight: 1,820 kg (4,012 lb)
Crew: 1
Capacity: 4
A second project looked at using four smaller rotors in a similar application, but without the pusher.
Lift Power: 1,250 hp (932 kW) General Electric T58
Total thrust: 2,350 kg (5,180 lb); 1.3 thrust to weight ratio
Propellers: pusher propeller in a ducted ring at the rear
Speed: 90 km/h (48.6 kt)
VTOL Range: 60 km (32.4 nm) or 40 min endurance
Width: ~ 2.5 m
Length: ~ 4.5 m
Height: ~ 2.2 m
Empty Weight: 1,105 kg (2,436 lb)
Gross Weight: 1,800 kg (3,970 lb)
Crew: 1
Capacity: 4
The two proposed designs failed to gain support by the French army due to the rapid progress of helicopters for troop transport. In addition, the difficulties of control and high rotational velocities of these type of vehicles necessitated expensive and complicated automatic stabilization devices and highly developed piloting skills.
The nice thing about egotists is that they don't talk about other people. ====================================================== Count Hermann Keyserling once said truly that the greatest American superstition was the belief in facts.