Airfoil

Airfoil Terminology
Terminology

Span Center of Pressure

Upper Chamber Leading Edge

Mean Chamber Line

Chord Line
Lower Chamber
Trailing Edge
 Types of Airfoils
•Equal
Equal chamber
chamber on on each
each side
side
Symmetrical •Each
Each half
half mirror
mirror image
image of
of other
other
•Mean
Mean chamber
chamber line
line and
and chord
chord line
line are
are coincidental
coincidental
•Produces
Produces zero
zero lift
lift at
at zero
zero angle
angle of
of attack
attack
•Constant
Constant center
center of
of pressure
pressure with
with varying
varying angles
angles of
attack

Nonsymmetrical •Greater
Greater curvature
curvature aboveabove thethe chord line then below
•Chord
Chord and
and chamber
chamber line line are
are not
not coincidental
coincidental
•Produces
Produces useful
useful lift
lift even
even atat negative
negative angles
angles ofof attack
attack
•Produces
Produces more more lift
lift at
at aa given
given angle
angle of
of attack
attack than
than
symmetrical
•Better
Better stall
stall characteristics
characteristics than than symmetrical
symmetrical
•Good
Good lift
lift to
to drag
drag ratio
ratio
•Limited
Limited toto low
low relative
relative windwind velocity,
velocity, <300
<300 knots
knots
•Excessive
Excessive center
center of of pressure
pressure travel
travel up
up to
to 20%
20% ofof chord
chord line
line
 Airfoil
Airfoil (Rotor
(Rotor Blade)
Blade) Angles
Angles
Angle of Incidence
(pitch angle)
L in e
rd
C ho

Tip Path Plane

The mechanical angle between the chord line of the airfoil

and the plane of rotation of the rotor (tip path plane).
Changed by collective and cyclic feathering. Any change in
the angle of incidence changes the angle of attack.
 Airfoil
Airfoil (Rotor
(Rotor Blade)
Blade) Angles
Angles
Angle of Attack
(aerodynamic angle)

r d Line
Cho Resultant R
W
Induced Flow
Tip
Tip Pa
Patth
hPPlla
anne
e

The acute angle formed between the chord line of an airfoil

and the resultant relative wind. As an aerodynamic angle the
angle of attack can change with no apparent change in
angle of incidence.
6° Angle of Attack 12° Angle of Attack

18° Angle of Attack 24° Angle of Attack

CL Max Stall
Questions?
Questions?
 Enabling Learning Objective #5

From memory, the student will identify, by writing or

selecting from a list, the principles of cyclic and
collective feathering and the importance of rotary-
wing flight, the significance of blade flapping and
the significance of blade hunting and the forces
involved with hunting IAW FM 1-203
 Rotational Airflow
(no forward movement)
Tip Speed
700 FPS
Circular movement of the rotor blades...

...Produces basic rotational relative wind.

Tip Speed Maximum speed is at the tip of the blade
700 FPS and decreases uniformly to the hub
 Feathering
Feathering is the rotation of the blade about its
span-wise axis
•Feathering can be uniform throughout the rotor through
collective inputs.

•Feathering can be adjusted differentially through cyclic

manipulation

Lets look at some examples of feathering...

 Collective Feathering
• The changing of the angle of incidence equally and in the
same direction on all of the rotor blades simultaneously
• Changes the angle of attack, which changes the
coeffiecient of lift, which changes the overall lift of the rotor

+
+
+

+
 Cyclic Feathering
Differential change in angle of incidence around the rotor

•Fore or aft cyclic movements result in changes in angle of

incidence at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions around the rotor

•Lateral cyclic movements result in the angle of incidence

changing at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions around the rotor
 Forward cyclic inputs

+ -

A forward cyclic input increases pitch angle at the 9 o’clock

position, and decreases it at the 3 o’clock position. Due to
phase lag, the greatest upflap occurs at the 6 o’clock
position. Total aerodynamic force inclines forward.
 Aft cyclic inputs

-
+

An aft cyclic input increases in the pitch of the blade at the

3 o’clock position while decreasing it at the 9 o’clock position.
Due to phase lag, the highest upflap occurs at the 12 o’clock
position. Total aerodynamic force inclines to the rear.
 Lateral Cyclic Inputs

Lateral cyclic inputs change the pitch angle at the 12 o’clock

and 6 o’clock position. Due to phase lag those changes are
manifested in the rotor system 90 degrees later. The resulting
rotor attitude change causes the helicopter to move in the
desired direction
 Flapping
Flapping is the up and down movement of the rotor blades
about a flapping hinge (or flexible hub)
•Blades flap in response to changes in lift caused by
changes in velocity of the relative wind across the airfoil, or
by cyclic feathering
•No flapping occurs when the tip path plane is perpendicular
to the mast

Contributions
•Helps prevent dyssemmetry of lift
•Allows the rotor system to tilt in the desired direction in
response to cyclic inputs
 Lead and Lag
Rotor blades in an articulated system lead ahead
and lag behind their normal position in the rotor
system

Causes

•Angle of attack changes and drag forces

•Coriolis force, or the change in the relative
center of gravity along the span of the blade
 Sequence when blade flaps up
Blade
Blade CG
CG

R2

R1

As the center of gravity moves inboard, a smaller radius of travel is

produced. This causes the advancing blade to speed up or hunt. A vertical
hinge pin (articulated rotor) allows the blade to sweep forward and
absorbs stress that would otherwise be transmitted to the blade.