Revitalizing Advanced Rotorcraft Research-and the Compound Helicopter 35th AHS Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lecture

摘要

This paper briefly reviews the history and development of compounds, tiltrotors, and hingeless rotors. Largely through a quirk of history, the compound has been neglected for over three decades. The mission performance potential of the compound is reexamined based on basic aerodynamic principles and by surveying recent NASA and Army mission design studies. A rational case can be made that the compound is the preferred rotorcraft for intermediate-speed missions and that it can be a worthy complement to the helicopter and tiltrotor. Past U.S. Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate aeromechanics research in aeroelastic stability and prediction methodology is reviewed in support of advancing both conventional and compound rotorcraft. This paper describes 10 research and development initiatives to revitalize advanced rotorcraft research for both conventional and future compound rotorcraft.