Chapter 7
Performance
7.1 Introduction
The preceding chapters have been mostly concerned with establishing the aerodynamic characteristics of the helicopter main rotor. We turn now to considerations of the helicopter as a total vehicle. The assessment of helicopter performance, like that of a fixed-wing aircraft, is at bottom a matter of comparing the power required with that available, in order to determine whether a particular flight task is feasible. The number of different performance calculations that can be made for a particular aircraft is of course unlimited, but aircraft specification sets the scene in allowing meaningful limits to be prescribed. A typical specification for a new or updated helicopter might contain the following requirements, exclusive of emergency operations such as personnel rescue and life saving:
- Prescribed missions, such as a hover role, a payload/range task or a patrol/loiter task. More than one are likely to be called for. A mission specification leads to a weight determination for payload plus fuel and thence to an all-up weight, in the standard fashion illustrated in Figure 7.1.
- Some specific atmosphere-related requirements, for example the ability to perform the mission at standard (ISA) temperature plus, say, 15°; the ability to perform a reduced mission at altitude; the ability to fly at a particular cruise speed.
- Specified safety requirements to allow for an engine failure.
- Specified environmental operating conditions, such as to and from ...
