Progress Report II of Cooperative Program for Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Graphite-Epoxy Composite Helicopter Shafting.
Abstract
A design methodology employing computer programs was developed and used to provide five designs of composite helicopter tail rotor drive shaft segments. Shaft test specimens were fabricated from MODMOR I and CELION GY-70 graphite fiber reinforced epoxy resin. Results from the laboratory testing of these 18-inch (nominal) long specimens plus those from a previously fabricated THORNEL 50S specimen were used to compute performance expected from standard 57-inch (nominal shaft segments). All designs tested exceeded the minimum design requirements for stiffness, fatigue life, Vibration, and residual strength. When the artificial constraints of windup and segment length were removed, the developed design methodology using a composite of 75 million psi modulus fiber and ERLB 4617 epoxy resin yielded a shaft train of only three segments. These tubes were only 39% as heavy as their aluminum counterparts; the combined weight savings from lighter tubes and bearing assembly elimination due to longer shaft segments resulted in a 53.1% weight saving for the total shaft train if compared with the current 2024 aluminum shaft train.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADA005024
Entities
People
- Charles C. Wright
- Donald J. Baker
- L. Thurston
- R. Clary
Organizations
- Picatinny Arsenal