Autorotating flat-plate wings: the effect of the moment of inertia, geometry and Reynolds number

Abstract

Free-flight and wind-tunnel measurements by previous investigators of the flat-plate autorotation phenomenon have been analysed. The variation of the autorotation characteristics with changes in the Reynolds number and the aspect ratio, thickness ratio and moment of inertia of the flat plate have been correlated. The interpretation of the role of the Reynolds number made in a previous investigation is shown to be incorrect. The tip-speed ratio, for the ranges of the dimensionless parameters investigated, is shown to be a function of only the plate aspect ratio, thickness ratio, and also the moment of inertia if the latter is sufficiently small. The lift and drag coefficients, and therefore the free-flight glide angle, are shown to be functions of the tip-speed ratio, the aspect ratio and the Reynolds numbers based on the chord and plate thickness.