CarterCopter successfully completes phase-one runway tests. Limited flight-tests to be conducted next at Sheppard AFB.

Wichita Falls, Texas: Tuesday, November 3, 1998.

Flight testing of the revolutionary CarterCopter gyroplane resumed on Thursday, October 29, 1998, with test pilot Don Farrington at the controls and test pilot Jay Shapley assisting. A hard landing had damaged the aircraft five weeks previously during phase-one runway tests. The tests had been otherwise successful (see press release of Sept.24, 1998).

While repairs to the nose wheel, right wing tip, and one tail-fin tip were being made, a fourth generation 'extremely-high-inertia' rotor was built and installed. The new rotor is 'straight', whereas the previous rotor had contained a dogleg near each tip. The dogleg had reduced rotor stress but had increased cyclic and collective loads. These loads had contributed to an unacceptable rotor control-lag. Static tests with the new rotor confirmed that at rotor speeds as high as 400 RPM, the pilot can now move the rotor disk spindle from center position to the forward stop, then back to the rearward stop and again to the center position (32 degrees total) in under two seconds. Normal flying RPM is expected to be in the 125-300 RPM range, depending upon the lift provided by the rotor.

The same 5,000-foot runway used for the phase-one tests was again used. The goal was to confirm readiness for flight tests scheduled later in the month on the 14,000-foot runway at Sheppard AFB.

First, the test pilots confirmed the control-lag problem was solved by the new rotor. Next, they developed the techniques needed to fly slowly off the ground with rotor RPM, cyclic, and collective -- all stabilized. Each test began by smoothly rotating the aircraft back onto its tail boom 'training wheels'. Then, with a constant runway speed established and a constant collective pitch on the rotor, aircraft pitch was adjusted with the cyclic stick until the training wheels were barely off the ground. As soon as rotor RPM stabilized, runway speed was slowly and incrementally increased until the aircraft left the ground. Altitude was limited due to the short length of the runway.

Throughout these brief flights, the cyclic stick position remained essentially centered both fore and aft and side to side. This confirmed that the blade hub delta-3 angle was correct. Delta-3 is a condition whereby the rotor teetering axis is angled off the normal of 90 degrees to the rotor spanwise centerline. The purpose of delta-3 in the CarterCopter is to reduce rotor flapping and to help its 'extremely-high-inertia' rotor respond more quickly to cyclic pitch changes (a high-inertia rotor will resist change to its plane of rotation). If the delta-3 angle had proven incorrect, the pilot would have had to hold the cyclic stick to one side in order to fly straight. If the position had been close to the side travel limit a new rotor hub with a different delta-3 angle and new blade pitch arms would have been required.

Test pilots often have only prior experience and instincts available to help find correct flight values. This time a computer model developed by CarterCopters L.L.C helped them. Several years in the making, the computer model predicts how the aircraft will behave. Actual flight data has agreed closely with the computer model -- thus far. As the flight envelope expands and more actual flight data is obtained the model will be fine-tuned.

At Sheppard AFB, the flight characteristics between 50 and 100 MPH will be explored. This range is the calculated minimum-horsepower speeds for the CarterCopter. It is where the aircraft should prove most controllable.

The goal of phase-two testing is to expand the envelope from slow flights of 30 MPH, where the rotor provides the control and most of the lift, all the way to flights of 150 MPH, where the wings provide most of the lift and the ailerons and stabilator provide most of the control.

The phase-three testing goal will be to develop and demonstrate zero roll landings and takeoffs.

The phase-four testing goal will be to fly as fast as possible with minimum rotor RPM and still maintain good rotor stability.

CarterCopters L.L.C. is funded by private investors and by a Small Business Innovative Research grant from NASA. The company's business plan is to develop the technology for practical high speed rotary wing flight, prove the technology by breaking records, and then license the technology to kit and certified aircraft manufacturers.

For complete information and pictures, please see the CarterCopters web-site at www.cartercopters.com. Status reports on the flight-testing will be posted periodically on the web-site.