This course introduces the history of rotorcraft and describes the design features of contemporary helicopters.  It also introduces the fundamental ideas used for analysing rotors and goes on to develop a robust theoretical basis for the elementary rotorcraft design functions.

Two lectures per week

ENG4XYZ Rotorcraft Aeromechanics 4

None

80% Written Exam, the students have to answer 4 questions of equal weight

20% Written Assignment

It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.

[No exceptions]

The aim of this course is to provide students with a firm grasp and understanding of the principles of rotorcraft aeromechanics, through lectures, tutorials, computer-based simulations and development of computer codes.  The course describes the fundamentals of rotary-wing flight and equips the student with a robust theoretical basis for all the elementary rotorcraft design functions.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ describe the history and development of rotorcraft, and explain the special problems that they present;

■ explain the design features of contemporary helicopters including empennage, airframe, rotors, method of attaching blades to hubs;

■ analyse coupled blade equations of motion for feather, lag and flap (Euler method);

■ use equations to analyse simple blade behaviour in flap and lag, including lag dampers and effect of hinge offset on natural frequency;

■ apply and interpret the individual-to-multiblade transformation and blade element theory;

■ make calculations using simple momentum theory, non-uniform inflow and finite state wake models;

■ synthesise a generic flight mechanics model using standard methods;

■ develop simple trim solutions and consider modes of motion;

■ describe the context in which helicopters are operated (both civil and military);

■ describe the limitations in their operational capability in terms of fundamental aerodynamic and dynamic characteristics;

■ explain helicopter flight mechanics in terms of the ability to trim the aircraft in a range of flight conditions, analyse the stability of flight and the response to controls and atmospheric disturbances;

■ analyse aerodynamic and dynamic behaviour of helicopter rotor blades;

■ using a variety of analysis methods (e.g., momentum theory, blade element method, linear stability theory, eigenvalues/vectors, response solutions, analytic approximations) to explore, and evaluate helicopter flight mechanics;

■ use computer simulation to model and analyse the complex aeromechanics of helicopters;

■ write a technical lab report to industry standards;

■ develop computer-based simulations of simple systems.