Dominant Logistics
The Joint Transport Rotorcraft
Until the day arrives when the Joint Transport Rotorcraft becomes reality, we will need to continue to rely upon the CH-47 in a variety of roles, but most of the Chinook's current mission should be taken over by CH-53s. Because of the age of the Chinooks, we need to avoid overreliance on them, particularly in the vertical assault role.
There is a particular role that the Chinook needs to take on while it remains in service - airborne tanker. We need the means to move major quantities of fuel over significant distances in support of maneuver forces on the ground. While the CH-53 could carry more fuel over greater distances, it is also far more expensive to operate and maintain in addition to there being fewer CH-53s available. Chinooks are plentiful and more than sufficient for the role until the JTR becomes available in the future.
A lot of debate has gone on over what type of aircraft represents the future for the medium class of transport rotorcraft. The two most common ideas are the compound helicopter and the tiltrotor. For other aircraft sizes and missions, I feel the compound option offers the best blend of capabilities, but for this class of transport, a tiltwing design may be our best option.
I specify a tiltwing as opposed to a tiltrotor simply because many of the problems with the current V-22 are a direct result of locating the engines out at the wing tips and tilting just the engine nacelles. An appropriate design will look something like this:
The internal dimensions of the airframe will be equal to or larger than the current CH-47 series of aircraft in every way. Ideally, it would be good to allow for internal carriage of light armor as well, including the M113A3.
The wings will split in the middle with the entire outer section rotating to allow for VTOL operations. The improved efficiency of the tiltwing allows for a smaller rotor that gives us greater speed and range but also allows for ESTOL operations with heavier loads.
Engines will be located in the upper section of the fuselage so that a manifold can be used to limit IR signature and the engines can be physically protected as well.
It needs to be emphasized here that this proposal is that the JTR will NOT be a vertical assault aircraft. It's primary role will be as a light airlifter specializing in airdrop operations. It can also be used to transport materials in VTOL and ESTOL operations but the aircraft to be used for assault purposes are the Blackhawks and Stallions.
Additional JTRs can be outfitted as fuel tankers for FAARP operations and we can also use this platform to replace the E-2 over the long-term. The smaller rotors will prevent this platform from being used in some of the suggested roles such as search and rescue missions and slingload operations. While the aircraft is capable of VTOL operations, it will usually be operating as an ESTOL aircraft to maximize range and payload.
In essence, the design is intended to function much like a C-27J Spartan currently available from Lockheed. The difference is that we are building ESTOL and VTOL capabilities into the design to allow for operations in very remote regions as well as from ships. Most other performance characteristics should come out about even with the Spartan.