Lift-Fan Propulsion/Control System

Recent studies have been conducted by Rockwell International and Grumman Aerospace Corps. under contract to NASA Ames Research Center to modify a Grumman Gulfstream II aircraft to a lift-fan transport research aircraft.

This paper describes the proposed vehicle and the propulsion/control system to be used for the vertical and transition modes of flight.

Criteria for system performance and results of testing on the Ames 6 degrees-of-freedom simulator are described.

Advances in lift-fan propulsion technology over the past 10 years are summarized, and typical operational lift-fan vehicles are illustrated.