Abstract
This paper describes the design of two series of rotorcraft airfoils for a heavy lift helicopter and a heavy lift tiltrotor. A newly emerging method of using a variable camber distribution is described. The use of a multi-point design optimization method was coupled with a traditional conformal mapping technique. The resulting airfoils were wind tunnel tested and provided validation for the method showing its strengths and weaknesses. The resulting airfoils were then analyzed using a Navier-Stokes CFD code, and compared to the design code and the test data. The results of this work demonstrate a method for design of heavy lift rotorcraft and the limitations of computational models to capture trailing edge separation. These limitations must be appreciated to avoid costly design mistakes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | American Helicopter Society International Specialists Conference on Aerodynamics 2008 |
Pages | 629-661 |
Number of pages | 33 |
Volume | 2 |
State | Published - Dec 1 2008 |
Event | AHS Specialists Conference on Aerodynamics 2008 - San Francisco, CA, United States Duration: Jan 23 2008 → Jan 25 2008 |
Other
Other | AHS Specialists Conference on Aerodynamics 2008 |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | San Francisco, CA |
Period | 1/23/08 → 1/25/08 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil and Structural Engineering