Conceptual Design and Wind Tunnel Test of a Disk Shaped, Rotorless, High Speed VTOL Aircraft

An innovative, rotorless VTOL aircraft concept is proposed for Phase I mission scenario analysis, conceptual design, wind tunnel testing and performance analysis. The aircraft is a high speed vertical takeoff and landing (HSVTOL) aircraft concept. The HSVTOL concept has been patented. In vertical takeoff, the HSVTOL aircraft is capable of lifting heavy payloads and large fuel quantities similar to CTOL aircraft. In horizontal flight, preliminary data indicates a capability of cruise speeds in the high subsonic speed regime. The objective of this Phase I effort is to confirm that commercial applications of the HSVTOL concept can be made to closely approximate the high performance of generic disk shapes. The wind tunnel data will also be used to determine the performance capability of the HSVTOL concept with higher confidence. Using the wind tunnel data, analytical tools will be recalibrated and performance analyses performed. A performance map of the HSVTOL capability is expected to confirm that the HSVTOL will significantly out-perform current VTOL concepts in speeds and altitude and have comparable capability to CTOL short to medium range jet aircraft. Recalibrated analytical tools will enable higher confidence conceptual design of future HSVTOL designs/applications.