The Curtiss-Wright VZ-7 (also known as the VZ-7AP) was a
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-wi ...
quadrotor helicopter aircraft designed by the
Curtiss-Wright
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation of Curtiss, Wright, and v ...
company for the US Army. Like the
Chrysler VZ-6 and the
VZ-8 Airgeep
The Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep (company designation PA-59) was a prototype vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft developed by Piasecki Aircraft. The Airgeep was developed to fulfill a U.S. Army Transportation Research Command contract for a fly ...
it was to be a "flying jeep".
Design and development
The Aerophysics Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Curtiss-Wright, designed an "Aerial Platform" for a
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
Transport and Research Command "Flying Jeep" design competition. The Aerophysics design sat two in tandem between four ducted fan rotors and could also be armed with machine-guns or recoil-less rifles.
To prove the design concept the US Army ordered two prototypes of a smaller single-seat demonstrator, the VZ-7, which were delivered to the US Army in mid-1958. The VZ-7 had a fuselage with the pilot's seat, fuel tanks and flight controls. On both sides of the fuselage the four propeller/rotors were attached, unshrouded (the aircraft did originally have shrouds, but these were later removed). The VZ-7 was controlled by changing the thrust of each propeller and was maneuverable and easy to fly.
Operational history
The aircraft performed well during tests, but was not able to meet the Army's standards, therefore it was retired and returned to the manufacturer in 1960.
One VZ-7 is part of the
United States Army Aviation Museum
The United States Army Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located on Fort Rucker near Daleville, Alabama. It has the largest collection of helicopters held by a museum in the world.Phillips 1992, p. 37.Purner 2004, p. 204. The museum feature ...
aircraft collection at
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training installation for U.S. Army Aviators and ...
. However, it is not currently on public display due to space restrictions.
Specifications
See also
References
*
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20111024155224/http://www.vectorsite.net/avplatfm.html
{{Flying cars
1950s United States military utility aircraft
VZ-7
Experimental helicopters
Quadrotors
1950s United States helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 1958
Single-turbine helicopters