Rotorcraft
Small design changes focus of seminar
Rotorcraft design has reached a plateau and advancements are taking place in incremental steps rather than as major breakthroughs.

Rotorcraft design has reached a plateau and advancements are taking place in incremental steps rather than as major breakthroughs. That was the prevailing message of a day-long workshop about the past, present and future of rotorcraft held at the University of Maryland’s Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center.

“You don’t see a lot of brand-new vehicles here,” said Barry Lakinsmith, acting director of the U.S. Army’s Aeroflightdynamics Directorate. The Directorate’s work is focusing on improving military rotorcraft mission effectiveness by increasing range, payload and speed.