User:Born2flie/Carter CCTD

Main article: CarterCopter

Carter CCTD
Role	experimental compound autogyro
Manufacturer	Carter Aviation Technologies
First flight	24 September 1998
Retired	17 June 2005
Number built	One
Variants	Carter PAV

The Carter CCTD was a two-bladed, compound autogyro developed by Carter Aviation Technologies to demonstrate slowed rotor technology. The design had an unpowered rotor mounted on top of the fuselage, wings like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft mounted underneath, and a pusher propeller at the rear of the fuselage. On 17 June 2005, the CCTD became the first rotorcraft to achieve mu-1 (μ-1), an equal ratio of airspeed to rotor tip speed. But later the same day on a second flight, the aircraft had been flying at 160 mph (257 km/h) when the drive pulley to the propeller drive-shaft bolts failed in flight, reversing propeller thrust. The aircraft was totally destroyed but both crew members were unharmed. The CCTD is also referred to as the CarterCopter and sometimes as CC1

Development

• 24 September 1998, first flight.
• 17 June 2005, μ-1 achieved.
• 17 June 2005, crash and retirement.

Achievements

At present, the prototype's engine is normally aspirated, and hence is limited to just 320 hp (240 kW) and the fastest Carter Aviation Technologies prototype has achieved is about 173 mph (270 km/h); which is still ~40% faster than a conventional autogyro but slower than gyrodynes of the 1950s.

Specifications (CCTD)

Data from name

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Capacity: 3 passengers
• Length: 22 ft 4 in (6.81 m)
• Wingspan: 43 ft 6 in ()
• Height: 11 ft 2 in (3.4 m)
• Powerplant: 1 × General Motors LS1 8-cylinder piston engine with two turbochargers in series, 300 hp (224 kW)
• Propellers: (2.44 m) diameter

Performance

• Cruise speed: 173 mph (278 km/h, 150 kn)
• Stall speed: 0 mph (0 km/h, 0 kn)
• Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
• L/D of 7 @ 170 mph

See also

• Fairey Rotodyne
• McDonnell_XV-1

References

• Carter Aviation Technologies