A tiltrotor has the features of both a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter, thereby blending the vertical flight capabilities of helicopters with the speed, altitude, and range of fixed-wing aircraft. However, as an important aspect of piloted aircraft, the handling qualities of
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A tiltrotor has the features of both a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter, thereby blending the vertical flight capabilities of helicopters with the speed, altitude, and range of fixed-wing aircraft. However, as an important aspect of piloted aircraft, the handling qualities of tiltrotor aircraft have not been studied extensively. This thesis presented a conceptual design and optimization framework to improve the handling qualities of the XV-15 tiltrotor aircraft. Handling qualities deficiencies of the XV-15 in conversion mode were investigated. The results in this thesis exhibited the influence of each design parameter on the handling qualities. The optimization results demonstrated that the handling qualities can be improved by adjusting the design parameters, but the increases in aircraft empty weight and power required are inevitable. The work done in this thesis contributes to the understanding of these design parameters' role in tiltrotor handling qualities, thus provides future tiltrotor designs with valuable knowledge.
