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LORD’s HMVS technology grabs top AHS award

The team, comprised of LORD, the U.S. Army and Sikorsky Aircraft, received the award Wednesday for their outstanding research and experimentation contribution to the field of vertical flight development. The award was presented during AHS International’s 71st Annual Forum and Technology Display in Virginia Beach, Va.
 
Designed to reduce weight, eliminate vibration and deliver a smoother helicopter ride, the HMVS system seeks to actively cancel rotor-induced vibration at its source. Compared to traditional hub-mounted passive treatments, HMVS technology provides superior vibration control performance at a greatly reduced weight. The HMVS team at LORD includes Mark Jolly, Ph.D., Manager of Mechanical and Sensing Research; Russ Altieri, Senior Staff Engineer; Gregory Fricke, Ph.D., Staff Engineer; John Nagle, Staff Program Manager; and Dan Kakaley, Engineer.
 
“It was an honour to be part of this program and to receive this award,” said Altieri, who served as the project lead at LORD. “HMVS technology has now been successfully tested and validated on an aircraft as a means to provide enhanced vibration suppression compared to the legacy passive systems, at significantly less weight. HMVS is a major milestone for rotary-wing aviation as this technology will pave the way for jet-smooth ride on both legacy and future rotorcraft.”
 
The Grover E. Bell Award is given for an outstanding research and experimentation contribution to the field of vertical flight development brought to fruition during the preceding calendar year. It was created by Larry Bell, founder of Bell Aircraft (now Bell Helicopter Textron) in 1957, in honour of his pioneering older brother, Grover E. Bell, who was killed in an aircraft crash in 1913. Eligible contributions include sub-systems as well as systems. The award consists of a 3-inch gold medal bearing the profiles of Lawrence and Grover Bell, a certificate, and a $250 honorarium.