Correlation of airloads on a two-bladed helicopter rotor

Airloads measured on a two-bladed helicopter rotor in flight during the Ames' Tip Aerodynamic and Acoustic Test are compared with calculations from a comprehensive helicopter analysis (CAMRAD/JA), and the pressures compared with calculations from a full-potential rotor code (FPR). The flight-test results cover an advance ratio range of 0.19 to 0.38. The lowest-speed case is characterized by the presence of significant blade-vortex interactions. Good correlation of peak-to-peak vortex-induced loads and the corresponding pressures is obtained. Results of the correlation for this two-bladed rotor are substantially similar to those for three- and four-bladed rotors, including the tip-vortex core size for best correlation, calculation of the peak-to-peak loads on the retreating side, and calculation of vortex iduced loads on inboard radial stations. The higher-speed cases are characterized by the presence of transonic flow on the outboard sections of the blade. Comparison of calculated and measured airloads on the advancing side is not considered appropriate because the presence of shocks makes chordwise integration of the measured data difficult. However, good correlation of the corresponding pressures is obtained.