Wind-Tunnel Evaluation of an Advanced Main-Rotor Blade Design for a Utility-Class Helicopter.

Abstract

An investigation was conducted in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to evaluate differences between an existing utility-class main-rotor blade and an advanced-design main-rotor blade. The two rotor-blade designs were compared with regard to rotor performance, oscillatory pitch-link loads, and 4-per-rev vertical fixed-system loads. Tests were conducted in hover and over a range of simulated full-scale gross weights and density altitude conditions at advance ratios from 0.15 to 0.40. Results indicate that the advanced-blade design offers performance improvements over the baseline blade in both hover and forward flight. Pitch-link oscillatory loads for the baseline rotor were more sensitive to the test condition than those of the advanced blade was larger than that produced by the baseline blade at all test conditions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA184574

Entities

People

  • Jeffrey D. Singleton
  • Matthew L. Wilbur
  • Robert G. Cramer Jr.
  • Wayne R. Mantay
  • William T. Yeager Jr.

Organizations

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Actuators
  • Aerodynamic Characteristics
  • Aircrafts
  • Airfoils
  • Altitude
  • Data Acquisition
  • Frequency
  • Helicopter Rotors
  • Helicopters
  • Hydraulic Actuators
  • Mach Number
  • Resonant Frequency
  • Reynolds Number
  • Sea Level
  • Structural Properties
  • Vehicles
  • Wind Tunnels

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Aerospace Engineering