Helicopter Flight Dynamics

Chapter 3: Rotor Flapping Motion

Introduction
1. The trim, stability and control of helicopter is
different from the fixed-wing aircraft.
2. Flapping motion of rotor blade is the key in
helicopter stability and control.
3. Factors of flapping motion: forward speed, controls
and angular velocity.
4. Pilot controls the helicopter through flapping
motion.

Topics
1. Equation of rotor flapping motion
2. 3 origins of rotor flapping motion
3. The effect of flapping hinge offset on the rotor
flapping motion.
4. Hub moments
5. Flapping motion of hinge-less rotor.

Flapping Motion Equation

Assume:
rigid blade;
flap hinge is at the center of hub
Thus:
In the flap plane, the forces applied on the
blade segment
aerodynamic,
include

Hub plane
centrifugal,
inertia forces and
gravity. The

Rotor shaft
moments of
these forces about
the
hinge
are:

G mgr M G rG M g M G M s g
0

C mr r M c C r sin Cr M C M C I b 2
2

F mr r M F F r M F

M T T r M T rdT
0

M
0

I b ,

Flapping
Motion Equation

The summation of these moments should be zero. That is,

MG MC M F MT 0

We have
the following equation of rotor flapping motion.

I I 2 M M g
b

(3
(3

Recall
the motion equation of mass spring system

mx kx f (t )

By comparing, the natural frequency

of flapping motion

I b2
k

m
Ib
The natural frequency of flapping motion is the same as rotor

rotation speed. If the frequency of exciting force is also rotor

rotation speed. The rotor flapping motion will be resonance.

is:

Coefficients of Flap Motion

Assuming:

a0 a1s cos b1s sin a 2 s cos 2 b2 s sin 2

Neglecting the harmonic components larger than two:

a 0 a1s cos b1s sin

Assuming the flapping motion of each blade is the same. The
geometric meaning of above equation is an upending cone.

a0 : Cone angle
a1 : Backward tilted angle
b1 : Sideward titled angle

Aerodynamic Forces on
Blade Element
1
2
T y u T a br
2

Air density
a
Slope of airfoil lift curve

b
Chord of airfoil
1

Attack angle tg

Pitch angle 0

up
uT

r
1 A1 cos B1 sin
R

Pitch angle at blade root

0
Blade twist
1
Longitudinal cyclic pitch
A1
Longitudinal cyclic pitch
B1

Hub plane

Aerodynamic Forces of
Blade Element
uT r V cos s sin uT R(

Hub plane

V cos s
R

r
sin )
R

Advancing ratio

u p V sin s 1 r (V cos s cos ) sin u p R( 0 cos ) 1 r

0 0
Side View

V sin s
R

Inflow ratio

1 1 1d (1
1d

1d

1 1 0 1d / R
Top View

r
cos )
R

Induced velocity

CT
2

2 1

Equivalent induced velocity

Inflow

r
r
[ 0 1 ( A1 b1s ) cos ( B1 a1s ) sin ]
R
sin R
1

1d
r
r
(1 cos ) [( s a1s ) ( 0 1 ) sin ]
R
R
R

a 0 cos ( A1 b1s ) sin cos ( B1 a1s ) sin 2 ]

M T rT
0

1
u T 2 a bdr
2

Solution of Flap Coefficients

M T M T 0 M TC cos M TS sin

I b 2 a0 M T 0 M S g

0 M TC

0 M TS

b 3

3
5
3 gR
[ 0 (1 2 ) 1 (1 2 ) ( S B1 ) 1d ]
6 4
5
6
R
2 (R) 2
3
1 2

2
4
2
a1s
[ 0 1 s 1d ]
B
1 2 3
1 2 1
R
1
1
2
2

a0

b1s

1
4
[ a0 1d ] A1
1
3
R
1 2
2

Flap Motion Due to Forward Speed

Relative speed

Flap Motion Due to Forward Speed

Flap Motion Due to Pilot Control

Blade pitch angle:
Cyclic control results in the variation of blade aerodynamic force and flap motion
For central articulated rotor, the flap coefficients are

Although the variations of pitch angle at advancing and retreating side are same the
aerodynamic force is different, the variation of aerodynamic force in the advancing
side is greater then retreating side due to the higher relative speed in advancing side.
Thus, the flap is slight larger than cyclic pitching angle.
In hover, the flap is the same as feathering. We call it as equivalence of flap and feathering
Pilot controls the helicopter by flap motion due to control:

Equivalence of Flapping and Feathering

Interpretation of flapping and and feathering coefficients

Equivalence of Flapping and Feathering

3 2

2
a1s a10 a1c a10 B1
1
1 2
2
b1s b10 b1c b10 A1
1

longitudinal

lateral

Flap Motion
Due to Fuselage Angular Velocity
The angular velocity of fuselage will produce additional flap motion because the
angular velocity causes the additional velocity and Coriolis Force at the blade
segment.
For example,
At first, producing additional velocity and attack angle

Resulting in the variation of lift and flap

Secondly, producing Coriolis force as
The Coriolis force applies additional flap moment

Flap Motion
Due to Fuselage Angular Velocity
Similarly, the roll rate

causes

Lock number:

Summary:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Damping effect: Pitching nose up produces rotor disk tilting forward, rolling right
results in rotor disk tilting left.
Gyro effect: There exists a serious corss-coupling, the magnitude of the crosscoupling is about the half of primary motion, the tilting of rotor disk leads 90 degree
with respect to angular velocity.
The flap motion due to angular velocity varies with forward speed.
The flap motion due to angular velocity decreases with the increment of rotor RPM

Exercise
Assume the induced velocity distribution of a see-saw rotor
helicopter in hover is:

v v0 k1r cos k 2 r sin

The controls applied are:
0 r1 A1 cos B1 sin

To determine the rotor flapping coefficients: a1s and b1s

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Rotor Flapping Motion
Hinge offset = 0

Hinge offset 0

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Rotor Flapping Motion
We have discussed the flapping motion of rotor without hinge
offset
Flapping frequency is exactly the rotor rotation speed
How about the flapping motion of rotor with hinge offset ?
Flapping frequency ?
Flapping damper ?

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Flapping Frequency

The balance of flapping moments, produced by aerodynamic,

centrifugal and inertial forces is about flapping hinge other than rotor
rotation center.
The equation of flapping motion becomes

I b I b eM s 2 M T

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Flapping Frequency
Natural frequency is

n 1 e

Ms

For blade with uniform mass

n 1

When

e 5%

3e
2 1 e

n 1.04

Physical meaning ?

Conclusion:

There exists the effect of hinge offset on the rotor flapping frequency
The effects is small for the practical helicopter

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Rotor Flapping Damping
Reviewing mass-damper-spring system
x

k
c

f(t)

mx cx kx f (t )

Damping: c
Critical damping:

Damping Coefficient:

ccr 2m n

c
ccr

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Rotor Flapping Damping
Flapping damping
Flapping motion produces velocity at blade element r e , which results in
r e

the variation
and produces the damping moment
uT
R
1
r e
2
r e
M a r1 sin bdr a
2
r1 sin
e
Damping

M a

Average damping ratio

If

r
5%
R

c
1
1 e 3 1 1 e

ccr 16 n
3

the damping ration is about 84% of central hinge rotor

Physical meaning ?

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Rotor Flapping Phase
n
Non-resonance, the phase of output to input 90

For linear system

n 2
) 1]
cos

For uniform blade

3 e/R
cos 2 1 e / R

Special case

[(

[(

e / R 5%
b 8

n 2

) 1] 2 4 2 ( n ) 2

3 e/R 2
1 e 2
) 4[ b (1 e / R) 3 (1
)]
2 1 e/ R
16
3R

85

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Rotor Flapping Motion
Producing hub moments
Hub moments comes from centrifugal force and is proportional to flapping
hinge offset e
a0

a0

M GX
M GZ

k
M s 2eb1s
2
k
M s 2 ea1s
2

Effect of Flapping Hinge Offset

on Rotor Flapping Motion
Notes about hub moment:

For flapping motion due to control, the large e produces the great control
moment and improves the control capability and maneuverability.

For flapping motion due to forward speed, the large hub moment provide
the velocity stability and dihedral effect. However, increases the
instability of attack angle.

In order to obtain the necessary control power, we need e in a certain

extent. While we have to limit the value of e to avoid the instability of
attack angle. Generally, the suitable value of e is about 5%R.

Flap Motion
of Hinge-less Rotor
For hinge-less rotor, the flapping motion is implemented by the elastic deformation of
blade root.
We can treat the hinge-less rotor as an articulated rotor with equivalent flapping hinge
offset. By setting the first order flapping frequency of hinge-less rotor equal to that of the
articulated rotor, the equivalent flapping hinge offset is:

Exercise
The rotation direction of Black hawk helicopter rotor is anticlockwise from
the top view. Please answer the following questions:
1.

How the rotor flaps when the helicopter comes up gust in hove? How to
adjust the controller to keep the hover condition?

2.

How the blade changes its feathering angle following the pilots
adjustment?

3.

During the left and right turn flight with constant speed and altitude, is
there any different for pilot control? Why?