Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics, 3rd Edition

Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics, 3rd Edition

Released August 2011
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9780470665015

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Book description

Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics is widely appreciated as an easily accessible, rounded introduction to the first principles of the aerodynamics of helicopter flight. Simon Newman has brought this third edition completely up to date with a full new set of illustrations and imagery. An accompanying website www.wiley.com/go/seddon contains all the calculation files used in the book, problems, solutions, PPT slides and supporting MATLAB® code.

Simon Newman addresses the unique considerations applicable to rotor UAVs and MAVs, and coverage of blade dynamics is expanded to include both flapping, lagging and ground resonance. New material is included on blade tip design, flow characteristics surrounding the rotor in forward flight, tail rotors, brown-out, blade sailing and shipborne operations.

Concentrating on the well-known Sikorsky configuration of single main rotor with tail rotor, early chapters deal with the aerodynamics of the rotor in hover, vertical flight, forward flight and climb. Analysis of these motions is developed to the stage of obtaining the principal results for thrust, power and associated quantities. Later chapters turn to the characteristics of the overall helicopter, its performance, stability and control, and the important field of aerodynamic research is discussed, with some reference also to aerodynamic design practice.

This introductory level treatment to the aerodynamics of helicopter flight will appeal to aircraft design engineers and undergraduate and graduate students in aircraft design, as well as practising engineers looking for an introduction to or refresher course on the subject.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Aerospace Series List
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. About the Authors
  7. Series Preface
  8. Preface to First Edition
  9. Preface to Second Edition
  10. Preface to Third Edition
  11. Notation
    1. General
    2. Greek
    3. Suffixes
  12. Units
  13. Abbreviations
  14. Chapter 1: Introduction
    1. 1.1 Looking Back
    2. 1.2 Book Presentation
    3. Reference
  15. Chapter 2: Rotor in Vertical Flight: Momentum Theory and Wake Analysis
    1. 2.1 Momentum Theory for Hover
    2. 2.2 Non-dimensionalization
    3. 2.3 Figure of Merit
    4. 2.4 Axial Flight
    5. 2.5 Momentum Theory for Vertical Climb
    6. 2.6 Modelling the Streamtube
    7. 2.7 Descent
    8. 2.8 Wind Tunnel Test Results
    9. 2.9 Complete Induced-Velocity Curve
    10. 2.10 Summary Remarks on Momentum Theory
    11. 2.11 Complexity of Real Wake
    12. 2.12 Wake Analysis Methods
    13. 2.13 Ground Effect
    14. 2.14 Brownout
    15. References
  16. Chapter 3: Rotor in Vertical Flight: Blade Element Theory
    1. 3.1 Basic Method
    2. 3.2 Thrust Approximations
    3. 3.3 Non-uniform Inflow
    4. 3.4 Ideal Twist
    5. 3.5 Blade Mean Lift Coefficient
    6. 3.6 Power Approximations
    7. 3.7 Tip Loss
    8. 3.8 Example of Hover Characteristics
    9. Reference
  17. Chapter 4: Rotor Mechanisms for Forward Flight
    1. 4.1 The Edgewise Rotor
    2. 4.2 Flapping Motion
    3. 4.3 Rotor Control
    4. 4.4 Equivalence of Flapping and Feathering
    5. References
  18. Chapter 5: Rotor Aerodynamics in Forward Flight
    1. 5.1 Momentum Theory
    2. 5.2 Descending Forward Flight
    3. 5.3 Wake Analysis
    4. 5.4 Blade Element Theory
    5. References
  19. Chapter 6: Aerodynamic Design
    1. 6.1 Introductory
    2. 6.2 Blade Section Design
    3. 6.3 Blade Tip Shapes
    4. 6.4 Tail Rotors
    5. 6.5 Parasite Drag
    6. 6.6 Rear Fuselage Upsweep
    7. 6.7 Higher Harmonic Control
    8. 6.8 Aerodynamic Design Process
    9. References
  20. Chapter 7: Performance
    1. 7.1 Introduction
    2. 7.2 Hover and Vertical Flight
    3. 7.3 Forward Level Flight
    4. 7.4 Climb in Forward Flight
    5. 7.5 Maximum Level Speed
    6. 7.6 Rotor Limits Envelope
    7. 7.7 Accurate Performance Prediction
    8. 7.8 A World Speed Record
    9. 7.9 Speculation on the Really Low-Drag Helicopter
    10. 7.10 An Exercise in High-Altitude Operation
    11. 7.11 Shipborne Operation
    12. References
  21. Chapter 8: Trim, Stability and Control
    1. 8.1 Trim
    2. 8.2 Treatment of Stability and Control
    3. 8.3 Static Stability
    4. 8.4 Dynamic Stability
    5. 8.5 Hingeless Rotor
    6. 8.6 Control
    7. 8.7 Autostabilization
    8. References
  22. Chapter 9: A Personal Look at the Future
    1. References
  23. Appendix: Performance and Mission Calculation
    1. A.1 Introduction
    2. A.2 Glossary of Terms
    3. A.3 Overall Aircraft
    4. A.4 Calculation of Engine Fuel Consumption
    5. A.5 Engine Limits
    6. A.6 Calculation of the Performance of a Helicopter
    7. A.7 Mission Analysis
    8. A.8 Helicopter Power
    9. A.9 Fuel Flow
    10. A.10 Mission Leg
    11. A.11 Examples of Mission Calculations
    12. A.12 Westland Lynx – Search and Rescue
  24. Index

Product information

  • Title: Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: August 2011
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9780470665015