PSAD-76-172 Federal Short Takeoff and Landing Transport Programs
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REPORT TO THE CONGR.ESS 1~ll~~llMlllll lllllllllllllllllllIll/lIll/Ill/ LM101767 BY THE COLWPTRBLLER GENERAL QFTHE UNITEDSTATES Federa! Short Takeoff And Landing Transport Progranw- Status And Needs Department Qf Transpqrtation Natisnal Aeronautics an% Space Administration Department of Defense The 1971 civil aviation research and develop- ment policy study concluded that a new short-haul air transportation system empioy- ing shon takeoff and landing aircraft was needed. The multiagency effort to define elements for the new system was discontinued in 1974. Although weral agencies are continuing to develop short takeoff and landing aircraft technology, the Department of Transporta- tion is supporting continued improvement of rail transportation and better use of existing l air transportation facilities as preferred solu- . tions to short-haul transportation proL ‘ems. The Congress and the agencies involved need to reassess the needs and priorities for short- haul transportation systems based on market conditions. PSAD-71% 172 I s-187185 TO -the Bresident of the Senate and t5e Speaker of thl, = Eouse of Representatives This report describes Federal efforts to develop ? new short takeoff and landing air ,raft for use in a short-haul air transportation system. !l%e rspcrt questions the rele- vance and effectiveness of civil research and development that does not fully consider (1) the social and economic priorities of the user market and (21 the emerging national transportation policy which seem to prefer alternative means for solving short-haul transportation problems, Since 1970 Federal agencies have incurred obligations of arout $400 million to study, develop, and test ahart takeoif and landing transport technology. Our rew0rrw wa8 made because the technology, if applied, will require sub- stantial additional Federal investmsnts. We made our review pursuant to the Budget and &csunt- ing Act, 1921 131 U.S.C. 53), aud the Accounting ~JMI Audit- ing Act of 1950 (31 O.S.C. 67), He are sending copies of this report to the gtrector c Office of Management and Budget; rhe Secretary of -ampor- tation; the Secretary of the Air Force; and the minirtra- . tor , NaLional Aeronautics and Space Comptroller General : of the United Steter __-. _- - _ . - --Cantents --Page DIGEST i CHAPTER 1 IRTRODUCTI0N 1 Rxplanation of STOL, RTOL, and CTOL classPfications 2 2 INITIAL EFPORTs-CoORDI~1ATEDFIDERAL ACTION (1970-73) 4 3 A PARTINGOP &lE GAYS (15ij4-176) 8 -National Aeronautics and Space - Administration 8 Oepartuent of the Air Porte 8 . ~~Puhlic and.pgitPate sectors 9 .I -~~~:Department of,Transportation--- Federal Aviation-Administration 9 .- -.ai-.-i Department of Transportution-- . _.;.. Office-of :the ,Sec~etary. _. _ r .> 11 -4 -- __.CIVIL -NEEDPoR-JE~~&&'kkORT‘ 14 -5 -- llYLITA!Y-NRED. .. FOR'JET.* ST~L TRANSPORT _ . 18 -6 COBlCLUSIONS 19 : _ ~~. :i,: >=-...L7 -. .sI AGENCY-C&&NTS AND OUR EVALUATION AND RRCOCUIENDATIONS---- 22 Lack of coordination among agencies 22 Need for new_BOL,transportation syst;em . :. "i 24 : ; ; ._3 - _ .. 1Scale :pnd,p&&*of NASA ST& tech- ~nologypr*r&“1 25 r~sI:,;--~ed,for'~easses~~nt bf ReaehaI. ---__ reaearchi developent, and deuton- I .:; -: atrationactfvities for irprov- ing short-haul transpcrtation 27 ~Recommcndatkous 28 29 .-_ APPENDIX Page I NASASTOL technology development program 30 II Survey of metropolitian airports: cities in top 10 short-haul markets 39 III 'Bibliography 42 IV Letter dated June 10, 1976, from the Assis- tant Secretary for Administration, Depart- ment of Transportation 44 v. Letter dated July 2, 1976, from the Assis- tant Administrator for DOD and Interagency Affairs, National Aeronautics and Spaces Administration 50 . ._ VI Letter dated June 14, 1976, from the As- sociate Director for Economics and Govern- ment, Office of Hanagemoat and Budget 56' VII Letter dated July 7,‘1976; from the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, I%- partment of Defense 58 . __ _ VXXI Principal officials responsible for ad- ministering activities*dfscussed- in this report . 61 ABBRBVIATIO#S _’ MST Advanced Media STOL Rans&t --I- -- ;- CTOL Conventional 3%keoff and Imd img Federal Aviation Administration ; . Eli2 General Accounting Off ice -:.-- - NASA National Aeronautics’and Space Administration QCSEE Quiet Clean STOL Exper bental ‘&ngine QSATS Quiet Shor t-Haul Air 3ranrpor ta tion System QS= Quiet STOL Research Aircraft :-..y’- QUESTQL Quiet Ezpertients3 STUL TPatispwt I&rear& Airplane RTOL Reduced Takeoff and Landis- . STOL Short Takeoff and Landing V/STOL Ver tical/Shott Takeoff and Landiyg I ; -- COHPTRbLLERGENERAL'S FEDERALSEIORT TAKEOFF AND LANDING REPORTTo TEE CONGRESS TRANSPORTPROGRAMS--STATUS AND NEEDS Department of Transportation National Aeronautics and Space Administration Department of Defense I ---w-wDIGEST f I Plans to fulfill national short-haul transpor- tation objectives should be clarified and co- ordinated. Presently, each of several agencies is pursuing its program based on its own per- ception of present and future needs. TJO agencies--Air Force and National Aeronautics and Space Administration--are expending a&out $430 million in .separate programs to develop and test short: takeoff arid landing transport air= - craft. Although the military need-for such air&aft is tider study,~‘.the use of short take- off and landing technology in the civil tfanspor- tation field will require new route netwomks, close-in airports,‘- and -better ground transpoo- tation, in addition to commercially feasible shortYtakeoff --and landing aircraft and im- proved air traffic control prbdedures. $&rsg~ of the Fedi . al, state or local government agencies are making any e-fort to define and assess -the system elements heeded for com- met_cially acceptable-,_. ~.. operations. .ce&oping- aircraft tecbkl*y for the air transportation f$eld aile deferring assess- ment of the system within which it will operate and the market which it seeks to influence has resulted, and will continue to result, ir! rejection of the technology or failure- to develop other technologies more . _ acceptable to users. --:. : : ~: Father than supporting development of the system required -for short takeoff and land- ing aircraft operations, the Department of _...Tranportation supports improved rail trans- portation and better use of existing air PSAD-76-172 ---._. i __ , - transportation facilities as preferred solu- tions to the short-haul transportation prob- lems. In commenting on this report, however, the K&par tment stated that even though there is no agreement on when or if the shor:t take- off and landing aircraft technology will be applied, the technology is needed to provide future policy choices. (See p. 24.) In view of its preferred soluticns and the lack of any effort to define the system in which the aircraft would operate, GAO rec- ommends that the Department of Trampor ta- tion --assess the social, economic, and jur isdic- tional factors influencing system develop- ment in order t= determine the policy choices that could be provided by the emerging short takeoff and landing aircraft technology; anai . --establish pr ior i ties fur sBor.t-haul trens- portation systems and their related re- searchr develo@ent, and ~demonstrattoa programs based on anticipated market co& d i tions. .- _ Because of tha need to -set pr io;itids based . on an understanding of the user market, GAO also recomezlds that the appropriate -con- gressional committees and the other ageccies involved reassess the Federal programs for improving shon t-haul tr anspor ta tfon. --. .- _--- ---_ ,- r, 1 COMPTRbLLERGENERAL‘S FEDERALSHORT TAKEOFF MD LANDING REPORTTO THE CONGRESS TEL':NSPORTPROGRAMS--STATUS AND NEEDS P-par tment of Transportation b :ional Aeronautics and Space Administration Department of Defense v----wDIGEST Plans to fulfill national short-haul transpor- tation objectives should be ciarified and co- ord inated. Presently, each of several agencies is pursuing its program based on its own per- ceptior, of present and future needs. Two agencieb-- Air Force and National Aeronautics and Space Administration--are expendfng about $430 million in separate programs to develop and test short takeoff and landing transport air- craft, Although the military need for such aircraft is under study, the use of short take- off and landing technology in the civil tganspor-- tation field will require new route networks, close-in air ports, and better ground transpor- tation, in-addition to commercially feasible short takeoff and la,hding aircraft end ilo- prowed -air‘ traffic control procedures. &me of the Federal, state or local government agencies are making any effort to define and assess the syritem -elements needed for uoq- mercially acceptable operations. -bevelopihg -aircraft technology for the air transportation field mile deferring assess- ment of the system within which it will operate -and -the market which it seeks to influence has resulted, and will continue to result, in rejection of the technology or failure to develop other technologies more - _~_acceptable to users . ---. Rather than mpporting developsent of the system required for short takeoff and land- ing aircraft operations, the Department of Tranportation supports improved rail trans- portation and better use of existing air PSAD-76-172 --cl- i 1 -. transportation.. facilities as preferred solu- tions to the. short-haul transportation prob- lems. In commenting on this report, however, the Department stated that even though there is no agreement on when or if the short take- off and 1aa;iing aircraft technology will. be applied, the technology is needed to provide future policy choices. (See p. 24.) In view of its preferred solutions and the lack of any effort to define the system in which the aircraft would operate, GAO rec- ommends that the Department of Transpor ta- tion --assess the social, economic, and jur isdic- tional factors influencing system develop- ment in order to determine the policy choices that could be provided by the emerging short takeoff and landing aircraft technology; and --establish priorities for short-haul trans- por tation syeteets and their related re- search, develoment, and demonstration programs based on anticipated Pparket con- ditions.