Helicopter Rotor Wake Geometry and Airloads and Helicopter Rotor Wakes

Abstract

Computer programs have been developed for the calculation of helicopter rotor tip vortex geometry in hover and forward flight and for the calculation of helicopter rotor harmonic airloads in forward flight. Calculated forward flight tip vortex geometries compare well in general with experimental smoke studies although there are differences in detail. The hovering tip vortex geometry agrees qualitatively with experiment but does not move downward fast enough. Airloads were computed using both the classical rigid wake assumption and the distorted tip vortex geometry obtained from the computer program. When compared with experimental airloads measurements the rigid wake airloads give better results than the distorted wake airloads.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1972
Accession Number
AD0752628

Entities

People

  • J. P. Sullivan
  • M. P. Scully

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Axisymmetric Flow
  • Blade Tips
  • Composite Materials
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Doppler Effect
  • Flight
  • Flow Fields
  • Flow Visualization
  • Fluid Flow
  • Geometry
  • Helicopter Rotors
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Scattering
  • Spectrum Analyzers
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.