Advanced Turreted Gun Systems for All-

Composite Aircraft RAH-66 & MV-22

Ed De Pasqual
' new
Systems Weaponization Engineering
General Dynamics Armament Systems
36th Gun & Ammunition Symposium & Exhibition
Burlington, Vermont USA San Diego, California
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 Report Documentation Page
Report Date Report Type Dates Covered (from... to)
09Apr2001 N/A -

Title and Subtitle Contract Number

Advanced Turreted Gun Systems for All-Composite
Aircraft RAH-66 & MV-22 Grant Number

Program Element Number

Author(s) Project Number

De Pasqual, Ed
Task Number

Work Unit Number

Performing Organization Name(s) and Address(es) Performing Organization Report Number

Systems Weaponization Engineering General Dynamics
Armament Systems Burlington, Vermont USA

Sponsoring/Monitoring Agency Name(s) and Sponsor/Monitors Acronym(s)

Address(es)
NDIA (National Defense Industrial Association) 211 Sponsor/Monitors Report Number(s)
Wilson Blvd, STE. 400 Arlington, VA 22201-3061

Distribution/Availability Statement
Approved for public release, distribution unlimited

Supplementary Notes
Proceedings from the 36th Annual Gun & Ammunition Symposium & Exhibition 9-12 April 2001
Sponsored by NDIA

Abstract

Subject Terms

Report Classification Classification of this page

unclassified unclassified

Classification of Abstract Limitation of Abstract

unclassified UU

Number of Pages
18
Agenda

l Advanced Composite Aircraft Programs

l ACAP Test Program Conclusions

l Conventional Turret Approaches

l RAH-66 and MV-22 Turret Integration

l Summary

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 2
AATD Composite Aircraft Program

l Bell Helicopter D292 ACAP

l Sikorsky Aircraft S-75 ACAP

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 3
Bell Helicopters D292 ACAP

l Program Plan l Armament Testing

Crashworthiness None
Static Testing
Repairability
GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 4
Sikorsky Aircraft S-75 ACAP

l Program Plan l Armament Testing

Crashworthiness Turret Interface
Ballistic Tolerance Weapons Effects
Reduced Signature
GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 5
Turret Testing on S-75 Burlington, VT

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 6
ACAP Weapon Testing Conclusions
l Landing Gear Trunion Hard Points Provide
Most Suitable Turret Structure Load Path

l The Composite Structure Affords Very Good

Damping Characteristics for Recoil Loads

l Composite Materials/Design Are Tailorable

for a Range of Damping Coefficients

l Localized Vibratory Modes can be Critical

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 7
Weapons Testing Conclusions (Cont)
l Localized Areas with Natural Frequencies
Near the Gun Firing Frequency can be
Often Easily Overstressed.

l Bottom Line:
Design a Stiff Turret with a High
Natural Frequency

Design Supporting Structure with

Simple and Direct Load Paths
GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 8
Turreted Gun Interface -
The Conventional Approach

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 9
GDAS R&D Composite Study Turret

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 10
 RAH-66 Turreted Gun System
MajorAmmunition
Components Feed
System

XM-301 Gun

Gun Turret

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 11
RAH-66 Gun Turret Configuration

l Conventional Turret/Aircraft Type Interface

l Composite Materials Supporting Structures

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 12
RAH-66 Comanche Turret Interface

Four - Point
Mount

Turret Gimbal Set

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 13
RAH-66 Comanche Turret Interface

Airframe
Structure

Upper
Support

Lower
Support
Gun Cradle

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 14
CV-22 Definition Trade Study

An Early, More Conventional

Approach FORWARD

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 15
A New Approach for the MV-22
Cockpit Floor

Anti-Plowing Bulkhead
Gun Turret Support:

a) It functions as the upper portion of the turret,

b) and the forward portion of the ammunition feed system.
c) It eliminates the weight of a separate support structure

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 16
A New Approach for the MV-22

Four Point Mount

Turreted Gun
Anti-Plowing Bulkhead Support
Structure

GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 17
MV-22 Turreted Gun System
l Fully
Integrated
Approach
l Significant
Weight
Savings (> 50 lbs.)
l Simplifies
Aircraft
Nose Redesign
l CompatibleWith
Crashworthiness
Design
GENERAL DYNAMI
Armament Systems 18