The interaction of trailing vortices with lifting surfaces is investigated using two levels of modeling fidelity. A RANS-based computational fluid dynamics solver is considered as the high-fidelity computational model and a vortex panel method with a propeller model is considered as the low-fidelity computational model. The high-fidelity model is first validated against available experimental data obtained from the interaction of a trailing vortex generated by an upstream wing with a downstream wing. The ability of the models to represent the development of the vortex wake and integrated loads is assessed for a number of parametric configurations, including a case in which the vortex core directly impacts the wing surface. Following this, configurations of an isolated propeller and a wing-mounted propeller are studied. In all of these cases, the high-fidelity model is effective in predicting the details of the flow and integrated airloads. The low-fidelity model, while less accurate is shown to successfully represent integrated quantities well at orders of magnitude less cost than the high-fidelity model, justifying its role as a viable tool in design and trajectory planning applications.
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