Airfoil Design and Rotorcraft Performance
Abstract
The relationship between global performance of a typical helicopter and the airfoil environment, as represented by the airfoil angles of attack and Mach number, has been examined using the comprehensive analysis CAMRAD II. A general correspondence is observed between global performance parameters, such as rotor L/D, and airfoil performance parameters, such as airfoil L/D, the drag bucket boundaries, and the divergence Mach number. Effects of design parameters such as blade twist and rotor speed variation have been examined and, in most cases, improvements observed in global performance are also observed in terms of airfoil performance. The relations observed between global performance and the airfoil environment suggests that the emphasis in airfoil design should be for good L/D, while the maximum lift coefficient performance is less important.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA480709
Entities
People
- William G. Bousman
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration