Press release -
Politecnico di Milano designs innovative wings for Leonardo's NGCTR-TD civil tiltrotor
Thanks to the European consortium FORMOSA developed a new solution for the mobile surfaces of the wing that reduces fuel consumption and improves performance during flight
The FORMOSA project has come to an end. It was launched in 2020 to redesign the wing control surfaces of the NextGen Civil TiltRotor (NGCTR-TD) produced by Leonardo.
The new configuration proved capable of reducing the wake load on the wings in helicopter mode (-9% compared to the original design) allowing reduced fuel consumption during vertical take-off and landing manoeuvres. In addition, a significant improvement in roll performance was achieved during flight in airplane mode, thanks to a 25 per cent reduction in the time-to-bank, the time needed to reach the required turning angle.
What is a tiltrotor?
A tiltrotor is a hybrid aircraft that combines the characteristics of a helicopter with those of an airplane. The architecture of tiltrotors features two rotors, placed at the wingtips, which can rotate allowing the aircraft to take off (and land) vertically and, once the take-off manoeuvre is complete, rotate forward to turn into propellers, producing the thrust for flight, as in a classic propeller plane. In order to manoeuvre these aircraft, it is necessary to design control surfaces suitable for the different flight phases.
The NextGen Civil TiltRotoris a technology demonstrator designed by Leonardo as part of the European Clean Sky 2 programme and created to meet, among other things, the growing need for air mobility in densely populated urban areas, offering the opportunity to take off and land vertically like a helicopter, together with the high speed and long distance capability typical of airplanes.
In order to improve the aircraft performance, Leonardo promoted the development of a unique and innovative solution for the wing's moving surfaces, capable of incorporating multiple functions, reducing the weight of the aircraft and the complexity of the control system and thus, ultimately, the emissions produced by the during missions.
The new configuration presented by the FORMOSA consortium took up the challenge and realized a special wing that includes more effective moving surfaces controlled by a new actuation system, which will be flight-tested as part of Clean Sky 2. The new calculation methods made it possible to correctly determine the airflow on the wing, which is affected by the aerodynamic interference of the rotors not only during stationary flight phases but also and especially during manoeuvring phases.
The technology developed by FORMOSA opens up the possibility of further optimisations including, in addition to flight in helicopter or airplane mode, tiltrotor flight configurations for short take-off, landing and approach.
The FORMOSA (FunctiOnal aiRcraft MOveable SurfAces) consortium consists of a group of young researchers from Politecnico di Milano and a team of engineers from the Portuguese company CEiiA (Centre of Engineering and Product Development). The project, coordinated by Prof. Vincenzo Muscarello, was funded by the project Clean Sky 2(a partnership between the European Commission and the European aeronautics industry), one of the objectives of which is to build new generation aircraft that are less polluting.
LINK video
Website FORMOSA
Related links
Topics
Categories
Politecnico di Milano is a scientific-technological university which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers.
The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of its teaching and research, developing a fruitful relationship with business and productive world by means of experimental research and technological transfer.
Research has always been linked to didactics and it is a priority commitment which has allowed Politecnico Milano to achieve high quality results at an international level as to join the university to the business world. Research constitutes a parallel path to that formed by cooperation and alliances with the industrial system.
Knowing the world in which you are going to work is a vital requirement for training students. By referring back to the needs of the industrial world and public administration, research is facilitated in following new paths and dealing with the need for constant and rapid innovation. The alliance with the industrial world, in many cases favored by Fondazione Politecnico and by consortiums to which Politecnico belong, allows the university to follow the vocation of the territories in which it operates and to be a stimulus for their development.
The challenge which is being met today projects this tradition which is strongly rooted in the territory beyond the borders of the country, in a relationship which is developing first of all at the European level with the objective of contributing to the creation of a single professional training market. Politecnico takes part in several research, sites and training projects collaborating with the most qualified European universities. Politecnico's contribution is increasingly being extended to other countries: from North America to Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe. Today the drive to internationalization sees Politecnico Milano taking part into the European and world network of leading technical universities and it offers several courses beside many which are entirely taught in English.
