Rotary Wing Aerodynamics

Rotary-Wing Flight Mechanics

A helicopter is not possessed of an ability to fly fast compared with fixed-wing counterparts. This is a result of considerations with the main rotor. The main rotor moves in a direction very close to its plane of rotation which naturally divides it into two halves which operate under different aerodynamic conditions. One side (called the advancing side) has the rotation and translation velocit...

Passive Wing Rotation in Flexible Flapping Wing Aerodynamics

Insect wings are flexible. For rigid wings lift enhancing unsteady aerodynamics mechanisms, such as delayed stall via leading-edge vortices (LEVs), wake-capture, and rotational forces, characterize the lift generation of a hovering insect. We have uncovered a novel mechanism that fruit fly size insects can utilize to further increase the lift by adjusting its wing shape passively: A pair of a L...

Survey of rotary wing accidents.

Flapping wing aerodynamics: from insects to vertebrates.

More than a million insects and approximately 11,000 vertebrates utilize flapping wings to fly. However, flapping flight has only been studied in a few of these species, so many challenges remain in understanding this form of locomotion. Five key aerodynamic mechanisms have been identified for insect flight. Among these is the leading edge vortex, which is a convergent solution to avoid stall f...

Vision Based Control of Rotary Wing Vehicles

The work presented in this paper is intended as an introduction to a study being carried out at the University of Bristol in conjunction with the SEAS DTC and forms the basis for a PhD in aerospace engineering. The focus of the research is the design of control systems for small unmanned rotary wing vehicles which receive feedback signals from visual sensory devices to augment controllability. ...