The CarterCopters LLC company founded in 1994 by Jay Carter, who previously worked on design of the Bell XV-15 tiltrotor. CarterCopters has produced a flying prototype of what it anticipates will be a family of convcrtiplanes, although its ultimate purpose is to market the design, not establish a manufacturing programme itself.

CARTER CARTERCOPTER CC1

TYPE: Convertiplane.

PROGRAMME: Developed with US$670,000 funding from NASA, the CarterCopter has been conceived as the first in a series of convertiplanes. First flight (N121CC) September 1998; development delayed following damage to prototype during aborted rolling take-off 16 December 1999; flight testing resumed late October 2000 and was interrupted by minor accidents in April 2001. Attempts are planned on rotary-wing world records. On 22 March 2002, the CCTD reached m=0.87 (relationship between forward speed and blade speed); company hoped to attain m=1 by early 2003 but prototype again damaged in landing accident on 8 April 2003. Following repair, a further m=1 attempt was scheduled for November 2003 but later postponed until the second quarter of 2004.

CURRENT VERSIONS:

• CC1, Carter-Copter Technology Demonstrator: also referred to as CCTD: One prototype version for proof-of-concept; as described. CC Heliplane Transport
• CC-UCAR: Smaller, unmanned version of CC1 submitted for US Navy consideration in early 2000.
• CC Heliplane Trainer/Liaison/Utility (CCH-S): Passenger version for between five and nine occupants, with same fuselage width as CC1; intended to compete with medium-sized helicopters in the liaison and medical roles. Two TSX-1 turboshaft engines driving 2.44m diameter wing-mounted pusher propellers; range estimated as 8,851km with maximum fuel or 1,126km with payload of 1134kg.
• CC-AEH: Heavily armed escort version of CCH-S.
• CC-UBAV: Unmanned bomber version of CCH-S.
• CC-KC: Aerial tanker version of CCH-S.
• CC Heliplane Air-Express: Three-engined development planned for carrier on-board delivery role in competition with C-2 Greyhound and V-22 Osprey. Cruising speed 604km/h at 9,144m; range 10,621km with maximum fuel and 2,414km with 9,072kg payload.
• Kitplane: Two-seat kitbuilt version being marketed.
• NxCC: Next-generation model announced at Sun 'n' Fun 2003. Improvement include fuselage extension of more than 90cm, longer wingspan, wider booms and on additional vertical stabiliser. Max T-0 weight in STOL mode would be 2,721kg and in VTOL configuration, 2,265kg. Power is expected to be provided by a turboprop engine in the 1,491kW class.

CUSTOMERS: Prototype only by end 2001.

COSTS: Production versions expected to sell for US$250,000 to US$300,000 (1997; latest data).

DESIGN FEATURES: Twin-boom configuration with high-aspect ratio sweptback wings. Pylon-mounted two-blade rotor is powered for take-off and landing, free-rotating in forward flight, when all power is transmitted to a pusher propeller. Maximum prerotation and flight speed 425rpm; minimum in-flight rotor speed 80rpm.

FLYING CONTROLS: All-moving elevator; twin rudders.

STRUCTURE: Fuselage of seamless moulded composites. Wing sections outboard of tailbooms removable. Tailbooms extend below propeller tips to protect latter in wheels-up landing. Bearingless rotor system. Rotor blades of carbon composites with twistable carbon spar; 29.5kg weights in each blade tip.

LANDING GEAR: Retractable tricycle type. Mainwheels retract into tailbooms.

POWER PLANT: One Corvette LS1 piston engine, with two turbochargers in series, driving a two-blade carbon composites propeller with twistable carbon spar. Engine power 447kW for short duration; 224kW at high altitude. Total fuel capacity 606 litres, comprising 227 litres in fuselage tank; 189 litres in centre wing (underfuselage) tank; and two 95 litre tanks in wing outboard sections.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and passenger in front, plus three further passengers on rear bench seat.

SYSTEMS: Cabin pressurised; maximum differential 0.69 bar.

Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 2004-2005

Technical data for CarterCopter CC1 Rotor diameter: 13.26m, wing span: 9.75m, fuselage length: 6.81m, height to top of rotor head: 3.40m, propeller diameter: 2.44m, max. take-off weight (STOL): 2268kg, max. take-off weight (VTOL): 1905kg, empty weight: 1134kg, cruising speed at sea level: 354km/h, cruising speed at FL450 (1500m ?): 563km/h, range with max fuel 3860km

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