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EC 135 Civil
EC 635 Military
Helicopters / Filipe Szolnoky Cunha Conceptual Helicopter Design Slide 4
Conceptual Helicopter Design
The general design requirements will include
Hover capability
Maximum payload
Range/Endurance
Cruise or maximum level flight speed
Climb Performance
Hot and High performance and other environmental
issues
Manoeuvrability and agility
Lightest Helicopter
Least expensive
CT 2 Cd 0
1
R
2 8 CT
CT
Best PL
2
Helicopters / Filipe Szolnoky Cunha Conceptual Helicopter Design Slide 12
Main Rotor Diameter
The disk loading for minimum power loading is:
2 Cd
2
3
DL R
T 1 W
0
A 2 A
We can then obtain the optimum radius for
maximizing the power loading.
T W 1 W
DL 2 R or R
R DL 2 DL
PL actual
T FM
P DL
Compressibility effects
N b cR N b c
R 2
R
Typical values:
From 0.08 to 0.12
Lower weight
Smaller hubs
Lower weight
Lower drag
Better maintainability
Less number of BVI
2 r 2
With (BEMT) dCT=42rdr then: rCl 1
8
Helicopters / Filipe Szolnoky Cunha Conceptual Helicopter Design Slide 42
Blade Planform
We have seen that the minimum induced power
requires a uniform inflow. Therefore the previous
equation is constant over the disk.
Lets assume that 1 is the same for all airfoils
along the blade and is independent of Re and M
From the equation since 1 =const and we now
that =const then r must be constant too.
Nb
r const cr
R
Helicopters / Filipe Szolnoky Cunha Conceptual Helicopter Design Slide 43
Blade Planform
The previous situation is achieved when
ctip tip
cr or r
r r