Comparison of three methods for calculation of helicopter rotor blade loading and stresses due to stall

Abstract

A comparison is made of the results of three methods for calculating the effects of dynamic stall on the performance, airloads, and blade stresses of a helicopter rotor at high loading. The three dynamic-stall methods considered predict essentially the same performance and trim for the rotor. They give roughly the same mean bending moments, but the peak-to-peak torsion and bending moments differ by 25 to 40 percent, and there are differences in the details of the predicted blade motion and stresses. The latter are due to significant differences in the dynamic stall aerodynamic loads, particularly the aerodynamic pitch moment, predicted by the three methods