Air resonance of an advanced bearingless rotor in forward flight

The air resonance of an advanced bearingless rotor in forward flight is investigated using a finite element formulation in space and time. The flexbeam, the torque tube, and the outboard blade are modeled as individual elastic beams, and the formulation includes five rigid body degrees of motion. It is shown that a large increase in stability is achieved by increased negative pitch-lag coupling arising from the vertical offset of the cuff restraint pin. It is also shown that body inertia has a significant effect on stability.