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Electricleash

Eurocopter X3 flying death-trap?

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Well it wasn't intended as a complaint, merely an observation to get people chatting. It was a subject that caught my interest.

Also I imagine that all craft that are now in full production went through the "X" phase of testing and demonstration at one time... but I see the point you were making.

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Hi all

As an experimental design I think it is great and points the way of the future.

I do not think the risk of getting caught in the props is as bad as the OP headlined.

Ducted fans would solve the problem all though vectored thrust and piped air would be even better. Simply pipe the thrust air to the wing tips and centralise all engines in the main body.

Also increase the wing surface for more lift then you have a copter that can fly much faster and as receding blade stall can be counteracted both by the thrust and passivley by asymetric lift in the wing and conventional aircraft control surfaces.

You also gain STOVL and STOL capabilities which cuts down on fuel use when needed.

You can also enlarge this design for a heavy lift body it would make a much better replacement for the Chinnook than the Osprey. As IMHO the design concept is is far superior.

I wonder if the old Pegasus design type of engine concepts could be put in to this form to run a vetored thrust equivalent or pehaps using a couple of Merlin engines in Tandem as the main lift engine and to pipe thrust air to wing tips. There are already helicopters that use such a model as a replacement for the tail rotor. Using a hollow boom.

That said prop shafts migh also be an option.

All in all I think this aircraft is an excelent example of what an X craft should be. Something that breaks the mold and encourages new thinking.

Here is another example of a similar concept.

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Kind Regards walker

Edited by walker
receding blade stall

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