High School Division
2009-2010 Challenge
Amphibious Tiltrotor
for Rescue Operations
Subsonic Rotary Wing Project
Background
The role of rotorcraft in relief operations of man-made
and natural disasters cannot be understated. Whether
fighting fires in California, providing relief after
the 2004 tsunami, or rescuing people after Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, the utility of rotorcraft in saving
lives and property has been demonstrated over and over.
When roads, runways, railways, and harbors are damaged,
rotorcraft are the only lifeline for stranded survivors.
In addition, distressed ships at sea are limited to
rotorcraft or other ships for assistance.
How can rotorcraft be even more effective in rescue
operations? Responding more quickly, rescuing more
people per mission, and landing on water and land should
be characteristics of future rotorcraft designed for
rescue operations. With greater speed and range than
a helicopter and the added capability of water landings,
an amphibious tiltrotor is a promising candidate as
a rescue rotorcraft of the future.
The Subsonic Rotary Wing (SRW) project of the Fundamental
Aeronautics Program aims to radically improve the capabilities
and civil benefits of rotorcraft. To this end, the
SRW project offers the challenge of designing an amphibious
tiltrotor for a wide range of rescue operations, including
fire fighting.
Amphibious Tiltrotor Design Goals
• Cruise speed: 300 kts
• Design range: 800 nm
Capabilities
• Take-off from water or ground; land on water or
ground. Water includes lakes and oceans.
• Carry up to 50 passengers
• Siphon water into an internal tank and expel water
while airborne
Challenge for High School Students
Choose one from the following:
- Using multiple historical events, assess the impact that an amphibious titrotor
(with the above capabilities) could have made on rescue operations. Include the
2004 tsunami disaster as one example. Include estimated productivity (lives saved,
amount of supplies delivered) of the amphibious tiltrotor compared with other rescue
vehicles that were involved in the actual rescue operations. Describe other civil
applications of the amphibious tiltrotor that you can imagine. Include your references
and use proper citation for all sources used in the paper.
Plagiarism is not
tolerated and will automatically disqualify an entry.
- High school students that prefer to attempt the design of a vehicle may follow the college
contest guidelines for a paper half as long, that is, no more than 12 pages for a design paper.
Refer to the college challenge pages for more information.
Plagiarism is not tolerated and will automatically disqualify an entry.
Entries due by March 15, 2010
+ Dates, Eligibility, and
Resources
+ Submission Requirements
+ Evaluation Criteria
+ Awards
Free Pro/ENGINEER Software License from Parametric
Technology Corporation.
A free license or seat of Pro/ENGINEER Schools Edition 3-D Computer Aided
Design (CAD) software is available to all students that enter the contest.
Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) manufactures the software and will
provide one license to each university student that declares a entry to the
contest. The corporation has made this offer in the hopes of improving
student’s ability to use the program, thus improving
the engineering skill
set of the future workforce. Please note: The use of Pro/ENGINEER is not
required for contest participation, nor is NASA endorsing the software or
its manufacturer.
Click here for details.
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