SESSION 3 = Towards a greener and safer rotorcraft

While operators constantly seek out higher performance and lower running costs, today’s society requires less pollution, less noise and increased recyclability. Reconciling the two demands may appear an impossible task but manufacturer R&D teams, coordinated by the European Commission, are grasping the nettle.

Part of an aerospace-wide initiative, the Green Rotorcraft project is divided into six groups, tasked with designing improvements in areas such as airframe drag and rotor blade design. Together, they are expected to deliver huge cuts in emissions, a 50% cut in perceived aircraft noise and a green product life-cycle, from design to disposal. All this by 2020.

So how are they doing? OEMs and scientists seconded to the Clean Sky project will brief us on progress so far; where the major challenges lie and on how earlier, more radical projects still have their part to play in their work.