Challenges and Progress in Broadband Noise Prediction for Small Scale Rotors

Small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) rotors differ greatly from those of conventional helicopter, they are 20-50 times smaller, have higher rotation speeds, their multiple rotor configurations means rotors may interact with each other aerodynamically, and they have fixed pitch (no collective/trim controls). Broadband noise may have comparable amplitudes to BPF harmonic amplitudes.