Rotorcraft
Sikorsky tests “active” rotor with flaps
Sikorsky Innovations has completed wind-tunnel testing of an active rotor system equipped with “high-authority” flaps, paving the way for what it says will

Sikorsky Innovations has completed wind-tunnel testing of an active rotor system equipped with “high-authority” flaps, paving the way for what it says will be improvements in noise, vibration–and, marginally, efficiency–on future rotorcraft.

The effort started in 2008 and culminated with the trials, in January and February this year, at NASA’s Ames research center at Moffett Field in California. It is part of a broader program that also encompasses leading-edge devices. The tested system involved trailing-edge flaps and a closed-loop control.

Loading…