Rotary-wing Platforms of the Future

While designers pursue technologies related to speed, range, performance and survivability of rotary-wing platforms, the military looks at designs that provide battlefield survivability and mission accomplishment.

- Captain A.K. Sachdev (Retd)

Advances in Aerospace Technologies have delivered some improvements in rotary-wing platforms, but the majority of helicopters retain the original tadpole-like shape with a main and a tail rotor. The classic helicopter design is mutating into newer types of rotorcraft or hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) ones. However, inherent limitations especially of speed, continue to defy rotary-wing designers the world over. Nonetheless, technological progress holds out two related promises. Firstly, innovative changes to rotorcraft design are clearly manifest the world over. Secondly, technological advances are proving to be expedients for the helicopter industry by offering increasing capability to upgrade existing models so as to enhance performance, role capability and mission utilisation. Technological updates also help in prolonging life of an existing helicopter and rendering it safer by increase in crash survivability and reduction in vibration levels. Obviously, upgrades cost a fraction of the expense on a new helicopter and so, looking into the near future, upgrades of existing, tried-and-tested models are likely to be at least as prominent as the emergence of new designs.

Future Vertical Lift