Todjaeger
Potstirrer
I could be mistaken, but I believe that there is a shaft running between the two engines on the MV-22 Osprey. The idea being that one engine could be damaged, but both props could still be powered by one engine, just at reduced capacity. Personally I remain dubious about MV-22 survivability on the battlefield. Such a design has great potential operating in areas where there is limited landing fields/space and a need for (relatively) high speed. I just see too many areas where components could become damaged for service in hot/hostile areas. Damage to a propeller or the wing rotating mechanism could cause the loss of the aircraft, in addition to the other, normal types of damage that can lead to aircraft loss.
Going through my books, I came across an old aircraft design that might be able to carry out a similar type role, the Fairey Rotodyne. I believe only one or two were every actually built, having died as a result of boardroom politics and never entered serial production. It was a "converti-plane" having elements of helicopters and normal fixed-wing aircraft. It had a large, central rotary wing and two turboprops mounted on stubby wings. It had a crusing speed of ~298 km/h, a 4,000 m ceiling, a range of 725 km and a cargo capacity of 40 passengers or 4,800 kg. Production versions were expected to be able to carry between 54-70 passengers. This was all done in a design that flew in April, 1958. Now if that same concept was taken and redone, using modern equipment and materials, it does make one wonder what could be achieved.
-Cheers
Going through my books, I came across an old aircraft design that might be able to carry out a similar type role, the Fairey Rotodyne. I believe only one or two were every actually built, having died as a result of boardroom politics and never entered serial production. It was a "converti-plane" having elements of helicopters and normal fixed-wing aircraft. It had a large, central rotary wing and two turboprops mounted on stubby wings. It had a crusing speed of ~298 km/h, a 4,000 m ceiling, a range of 725 km and a cargo capacity of 40 passengers or 4,800 kg. Production versions were expected to be able to carry between 54-70 passengers. This was all done in a design that flew in April, 1958. Now if that same concept was taken and redone, using modern equipment and materials, it does make one wonder what could be achieved.
-Cheers