Category Archives: June 2023

“A New Taxonomy for Vertical Lift Aircraft: Reinventing the VSTOL Wheel” with Dan Newman, Boeing

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VFS Philly hosted a virtual Lunch N’ Learn presentation featuring a talk by Boeing Senior Technical Fellow and VFS Philadelphia Board Member Dan Newman!

Description:
Since the successful fielding of Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, there has been a strong desire for such runway independent aircraft that are also capable of very high speed cruising flight.  There has been a lot of time and treasure invested in developing and demonstrating these VSTOL aircraft, and several attempts to characterize them culminating in the VSTOL Wheel, but each exhibits specific drawbacks in practice. The current approach is inadvertently limiting the capability for regulatory agencies to review and approve new concepts. A new, simple taxonomy has been developed by the presenter and is proposed that is suitably broad to characterize every VSTOL concept suggested, and sufficiently robust to include any in the future. And the approach offers a means to leverage each new aircraft certification, to reduce the subsequent workload and uncertainty.

American Helicopter Museum hosted their annual FamilyFest!

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The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center (AHMEC) offered a day of fun during its FamilyFest on Saturday, June 24, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The annual event loaded with activities galore aims to delight visitors of all ages.

Highlighting FamilyFest was a presentation and demonstration by Torque, a Belgian Malinois who holds the world’s record as “The Dog with the Most Flights in a Huey Helicopter.” The hour-long talk by Torque’s personal assistant will begin at noon and include the history of dogs in helicopters, information about K-9 Torque, Torque’s world-record achievement, the training and equipment involved, and a book reading and signing of her new children’s book. Paul Kahan, AHMEC’s Executive Director, presented Torque with a plaque honoring her accomplishments.

“We’re thrilled to welcome this extraordinary animal to our museum. She flies with the Huey Vets in the San Francisco Bay Area and works with various charitable organizations, including the Tug McGraw Foundation,” explained Kahan. “Additionally, she is a highly regarded crime fighter, so come and meet Torque and hear her incredible story.”

AHMEC wishes to thank its FamilyFest sponsors: A Storage Depot, Brandywine Aviation and Maintenance, Brandywine Regional Airport, Brandywine Valley Heating and Air Conditioning, First Bank, First Resource Bank, Fastener Systems, Inc., Greg A. Vietri, Inc., MBA Advisors, Metro Aviation, Pillar Real Estate Advisors, Team Toyota, and the Vertical Flight Society.

The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center, located at 1220 American Boulevard, West Chester, is the nation’s premier aviation museum devoted exclusively to helicopters. Established in 1996, the nonprofit organization collects, restores, and displays rotary-wing aircraft, including over 35 civilian and military helicopters, autogyros, and convertiplanes.