Boeing concepts for Army's Joint Heavy Lift

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 22, 2005 – The U.S. Army has awarded Boeing (NYSE: BA) two contracts to perform conceptual design and analysis of vertical-takeoff-and-landing concepts for the Joint Heavy Lift (JHL) program.

One contract, worth $ 3.4 million, goes to Boeing Phantom Works for its Advanced Tandem Rotor Helicopter (ATRH). Boeing proposed the ATRH in the Army’s low-speed category, which is for vehicles that fly between 160 and 200 knots.

The other contract, worth $3.45 million, goes to the team of Bell Helicopter, a Textron company (NYSE: TXT), and Boeing Phantom Works for the QuadTiltrotor (QTR) aircraft, which was entered in the high-speed category of 250 knots or more.

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So would there be two kinds of heavy lifters or just one in the end? I hope they don't go for the newer Chinook.

cool, nice find.

QuadTiltrotor will likely be more expensive then the revamped Chinook...But I 100% agree with you...The Chinook is old, they have updated it enough...its time to put it to sleep...While the quadtiltrotor looks sweet.

Wow cool stuff, looks like a Osprey/Chinook amalgamation.

Wouldn't the first rotors cut the wind so that it apply's unwanted forces on the second ones? Wouldn't want to be the guy that has to calculate that stuff and then adjust the software/hardware so it's neglible.

Originally posted by CrazyOrange
Wouldn't the first rotors cut the wind so that it apply's unwanted forces on the second ones? Wouldn't want to be the guy that has to calculate that stuff and then adjust the software/hardware so it's neglible.

Look closer, the rear wings are much longer, the rear rotors are not directly behind the front ones.

Here is another picture of the QTR I found on Gizmag.

Link

i like it a lot, it looks much better than the chinook

im sure theyll go with the much more practical and less technincal traditional dual rotor, rather than the (very cool) osprey type design.

I agree about the added calculations. holy crap they had enough problems testing the osprey. which my the way i love and is to be desided on soon as to how many will be actually purchesed. the 4 rotating props would be a huge feat. like the ospreys feat times 2, which it is pretty much.

I think the speed and range advantages of the QTR will win out in the end.

A lot of the technological problems and operational problems associated with tiltrotors have been worked out during the Osprey's development process.

And if you think the Osprey has killed too many Marines, take a look at the safety record of the CH-46 - not exactly confidence inspiring.

hmmm it looks strangly like somthing that the creator of X-planes included in the version 8.

im all for VTOL aircraft they look fab

Originally posted by xmotex
I think the speed and range advantages of the QTR will win out in the end.

A lot of the technological problems and operational problems associated with tiltrotors have been worked out during the Osprey's development process.

And if you think the Osprey has killed too many Marines, take a look at the safety record of the CH-46 - not exactly confidence inspiring.

I agree on its record, Helicopters just arn't as safe as planes...people often forget that.

However I dissagree with you on which one will win out...Money is tight, so thats why i'm going with the Chinook, although I like the Quad tilt-rotor design better.

I just dont think the Arny can afford it with there whole FCS program and all.

Originally posted by Murcielago

Originally posted by xmotex
I think the speed and range advantages of the QTR will win out in the end.

A lot of the technological problems and operational problems associated with tiltrotors have been worked out during the Osprey's development process.

And if you think the Osprey has killed too many Marines, take a look at the safety record of the CH-46 - not exactly confidence inspiring.

I agree on its record, Helicopters just arn't as safe as planes...people often forget that.

However I dissagree with you on which one will win out...Money is tight, so thats why i'm going with the Chinook, although I like the Quad tilt-rotor design better.

I just dont think the Arny can afford it with there whole FCS program and all.

I agree with you for the most part but i do think that you will see the tech from the osprey in more helos or tilt rotor planes in the future for sure. I cann't wait till the osprey is in full production again and well built into the marines.

Originally posted by xmotex
I think the speed and range advantages of the QTR will win out in the end.

A lot of the technological problems and operational problems associated with tiltrotors have been worked out during the Osprey's development process.

And if you think the Osprey has killed too many Marines, take a look at the safety record of the CH-46 - not exactly confidence inspiring.

The main problem with the V-22 was the hydraulic lines. They used very high-pressure lines which kept bursting.
The secondary problem, which unfortunately is more publicized, is the vortex-ring effect. Luckily, since there's four rotors on this new one, a vortex-ring would be far less detrimental to it.