The YC-14 STOL Prototype: Its Design, Development, and Flight Test : an Engineer's Personal View of an Airplane Development

Front Cover
The YC-14 was an experimental aircraft developed between 1971 and 1977 by the Boeing Company and sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. Its basic mission was to carry large, bulky payloads into and out of short, rough dirt fields 2000 ft long, even if an engine failed. Designed to replace the C-130, it had considerably more capability with a large fuselage designed to carry the largest tanks, trucks, and vans in use. The YC-14 configuration had a high wing and large T-tail with the flow from the 50,000 lb thrust turbofan engines exhausted over the top of the wing and passing over the upper surface of the flaps. The flow was turned by the flaps and deflected to augment the aerodynamic lift of the configuration. It was the most efficient powered-lift system ever developed. This case study takes you step by step through the request for proposal process, the trade study and configuration development, detailed design and construction, and ground and flight tests. The effects of politics, management, and personalities on the project are also addressed.
 

Contents

SUMMARY
1
BACKGROUND
2
B Boeings STOL Interest
3
Air Force STOL Transport Plans
9
Preparation for the Request for Proposal
11
Two vs Four Engines
12
THE RFP AND PROPOSAL
14
FirstTry Studies
15
Engine Nozzle and the UpperSurfaceBlown Flap
28
Wing
31
Body
35
Nacelle
39
Horizontal Tail
41
Landing Gear
42
BoundaryLayer Control System
46
Final Configuration
47

E Request for Proposal Arrives
16
G Air Force Contacts
17
H Proposal Configuration Improvements
18
J Informing NASA
21
WAITING PERIOD
23
B Air Force Reaction
24
CONFIGURATION DEVELOPMENT
25
Configuration Refinement
26
E Management Changes and Corporate Reviews
50
G Production Airplane
51
FLIGHT TESTS AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE
77
EPILOGUE
87
YC14 FLIGHT TEST RESULTS TAKEN FROM BOEING DOCUMENT D748101301
94
OBSERVATIONS OF THE AIR FORCE PROJECT TEST PILOT BY DAVID BITTENBINDER
100
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