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Some aerodynamic measurements in helicopter flight research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

P. Brotherhood
P. Brotherhood*
Affiliation:
RAE, Bedford
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Extract

The aim of this paper is to describe some flight research on the aerodynamics of helicopters recently carried out by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford. Helicopter flight research has been a continuous part of the RAE programme since a Sikorsky R4 helicopter was delivered to Farnborough in 1945. Various types of single rotor helicopter including such types as the Sycamore, Sikorsky R6 and S51, Bell 47, Westland Wasp and Whirlwind have been used as test vehicles in the intervening period. More recently, two aircraft, a Westland Wessex and Westland Research Scout, have been used on aerodynamic research which includes performance, handling stability and control and some operational problems particularly those associated with operation from ships. Currently a Puma is being instrumented to take over the role of the Wessex. There is of course other flight research activity at RAE, notably in the general area of avionics in which other helicopters are used. All the tests described in this paper were made on a Wessex and are concerned with the aerodynamics of the main rotor. The work on the Research Scout which has a hingeless rotor with characteristics similar to the Lynx is used mainly for stability control and handling research and is not specifically discussed in this present paper.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 79 , Issue 778 , October 1975 , pp. 450 - 465
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1975 

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References

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