Aerodynamic Interactions Between a Rotor and Wing in Hover

TLDR

The study experimentally investigates aerodynamic interactions between a rotor and wing during hover. The authors performed large‑scale tests with a 0.658‑scale V‑22 rotor‑wing model and small‑scale experiments varying rotor‑wing spacing, incidence, flap, rotation direction, and rotor‑axis placement to assess interaction effects. Large‑scale test results show wing download, surface pressure, rotor performance, and downwash characteristics, illustrating the aerodynamic interactions.

Abstract

An experimental investigation of rotor/wing aerodynamic interactions in hover is described. The investigation consisted of both a large-scale and a small-scale test. A 0.658-scale V-22 rotor and wing was used in the large-scale test. Wing download, wing surface pressure, rotor performance, and rotor downwash data from the large-scale test are presented. A small-scale experiment was conducted to determine how changes in the rotor/wing geometry affected the aerodynamic interactions. These geometry variations included the distance between the rotor and wing, wing incidence angle, wing flap angle, rotor rotation direction, and configurations both with the rotor axis at the tip of the wing (tilt rotor configuration) and with the rotor axis at the center of the wing (compound helicopter configuration).