Rotorcraft
Texas Researchers Study Coaxial Inflow
Such a system could provide significant gains in a helicopter's lift-to-drag ratio.


Aerospace researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and associated collaborators have received a five-year grant from the Pentagon and NASA to study the dynamic inflow of air associated with contra-rotating coaxial main rotor systems like that found on the Sikorsky S-97 Raider. Dynamic inflow refers to the control inputs to the rotor that affect the surrounding air, which in turn affects the forces generated by the rotor. The grant will fund the research and development of techniques that can measure dynamic inflow. The research team includes collaborators from the University of Maryland at College Park.

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