Helicopters are the most versatile flying machines in existence today. This versatility gives the pilot complete access to three-dimensional space in a way that no airplane can due to aerodynamics. If you have ever flown in a helicopter you know that its abilities are exhilarating. The amazing flexibility of helicopters means that they can fly almost anywhere. However, it also means that flying the machines is complicated.

The Presentation will provide an overview of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Definitions of static and dynamic aerodynamic will be given, and six-degree-freedom simulations will be used to demonstrate the impact of these terms (and uncertainties in these terms) on various properties of the Airfoils, Rotary Wing Platforms, Relative Wind, Angle of Attack, Total Aerodynamic Force, Pressure Patterns, Drag, Centrifugal Force, Rotational Velocities, Hovering, Ground Effect, Torque, Translational Lift, Transverse Flow Effect, Dissymmetry of Lift, Blade Flapping, Gyroscopic Precession, Retreating Blade Stall, Settling with Power, Autorotation. Sources of aerodynamic information will be reviewed and evaluated.