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NAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
-:w
..
,..
WAIHIME lUNBOW
ORIGINALLY ISSUED
MgU8t 1944 as
Advanoe ConfidentialReportLkt07
CHARTs
OF A
FOR ESTIMATIONOF TEE CEMWXERISTICS
HELICOPTERRCILWRIN FORWARDl!ZZGB!l
I- PROFILEURAG-LIFTRATIO
FQR UM!WISi3D RECTAMUTLARBLUES
By F. J. Bailey,Jr. andF. B. Gustafson
LangleyMemorialAermautical
LsngleyField,Va.
Laboratory
T.ANGI,EY MEMORW AFXONAUTICM
w&I-!l,qGTON .
LABC)XUTORY
Langley Fielcl, Va.
NACA WARTIME REPORTS are reprints of papers originally issued toprovide rapid distribution of
advance research results to an authorized group requiring them for the war effort. They were pre-
viously held under a security status but are now-unclassified. Some of these reports were not tech-
nically edited. All have been reproduced without chsnge in order to expedite general distribution.
L -110
-.
NACA ACR l?O . L4H07
ITATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS
ADVANCE CORFIDZNTIAL HEPORT
-
-.
CHARTS FOR ESTIMATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS
OF A HIKLICOPTER ROT@R IN F()~flJ,RD FLIGHT
I- PROFILE DRAG-LIFT RATIO
FOR UNTWISTED RECTANGULAR BLADES
BY 1?.J. Bailey, Jr. and F, Bc Gustafson
SUMMARY
Charts showing the rotor ~i-ofil~ drag-lift ratio
are presented fcr a helicopter rotor operating in
forward flight and having hinged rectangular untwisted
blades.
Charts are given for a range of power input
covering glides, level flight,
and moderate rates of
climb. Each chart expresses the relation between the
lift and We profile-drag characteristics of.the rotor
for various combinations of pitch angle, tip-speed
ratio, and solidity for a particular value of a parameter
representing the shaft power input.
A particular drag curve, represented by a power
series, was used in preparing the charts.
This curve
is compared with experimental curves for typical air-
foils. The method by which the charts may be used in
calculating the total shaft power required for any
specific flight condition is shown by an example.
The charts indicate that, for the rotor with
rectangular untwisted blades, one effect of increasing
the shaft power input is to produce a moderate increase
in the profile drag-lift ratio.
They further indicate)
that, regardless of the amount of power used, the
optimum profile drag-lift ratio is obtained at the
highest pitch angles permitted by the high section
angles of attack encountered on the retreating side of
the rotor disk.
----
----- .. - -
2
-
NACA ACR ]~0 . LJ H07
INTRODUCTION
Because of the pressing requirements of procurement
agencies for a rational method for evaluation of heli-
copter proposals and because of the requirements of
helicopter designers for a basis for choosing the
optimum combination ofvariables, it was felt that a
need existed for design charts summarizing the effect
of changes in the major variables on the characteristics
of a powered rotor in forward flight.
The method of
analysis of reference 1 accordingly was used to prepare
summary charts that are generally similar to figure 3
of reference 1 but cover various amounts of shaft power
input. The present report has, for simplicity, been
restricted to the basic case of zero blade twist.
METHOD OFANALYSIS
Parameter for shaft power input.- The primary modifi.
cation made herein In the method of reference 1 is the
introduction of a new parameter
P/L for rotor-shaft
power input. The symbol P represents the drag that
would absorb the same power,
at the velocity along the
flight -path,as the power being supplied through the
rotor shaft. The parameter P/L is therefore equal to
the total drag-lift ratio, or
where
1)
()
ii
()
D
Zp
:= ($)0+R)j(:)p +(?)c
profile drag-lift ratio
induced drag-lift ratio
parasite drag-lift ratio
(1)
drag-lift ratio representing angle of climb;
that is, rate of climb divided by veloclty
along flight path
u.
, . , , .
--by,tke method oy.tll.nedin reference 1 for any desired
value of
P/L by inciu5ion o~-the shaft-torque coeffi-
cient
where
CQ
0
a
IJ
cry
inthe
rotor.
torque coefficient
solidity;
ratio oftotal blade area to swept-
disk area
slope of lift coefficient against section angle
of attack (radian measure)
tip-speed ratio
thrust coefficient
equation expressing
the torque equilibrium of the
(See section entitled Applic~~ion of Theory in
/_,ti
reference 1. )
The eXpreSSiO~ for
T
fJ.-
iS ~iverl in
oa
equation (14) ofreference 3..
Rotor characteristics.- The sample rotor
the charts presented
herein were pre~ared was
have hinged rectangular ljntwisted~jlades. A
the mass factor y
of 15 was usjjd.
The chart
sidered applicable to rotors having values of
from O to 25.
for which
assumed to
value of
s are con-
y ranging
Airfoil characteristics.-
The airfoil characteristics
assum~d
m reference
1 were used in preparing the charts.
The equation representing the section profile-drag coef-
ficient is
cd = 0. 0087 -
0.021&a. + 0.400a02
o
where CCois the section angle of attack.
The corre-
sponding profile-drag curve is shown in figure 1 with
experimental curves for several typical airfoils.
4
NACA ACR NO. 4.H07
Limits of validi~ of theory .- As was explained in
refer~e 1,
calcu~a~ions based on the representation of
the airfoil-drag characteristics by a power series of-
thrce terms become optimistic when high blade angles are
encountered over too large a portion of the rotor disk.
It should be ncted, however,
that very little improvement
in (D/L).
is to be expected by operating beyond the
conditions to which the theory is limited, as a result
of the rapidity of growth of the region of high angle
of atback.
This fact is readily demonstrated by
graphical treatments for both au.togiroand helicopter
cases.
In the example given for the autoglro in refer-
ence 1, a satisfacto~y limit was
found to be the con-
dition in which a blade element at an azimuth angle of
Z700 and having a relative velocity u&R. equal to four-
teenthsthe rotational tip speed reached an angle of
attack oT 11.750
The use of this locus line has been
retained in the present example but, fcr convenience,
the angle of attack has been increased to an even 12.
Because the limtting angle of attack depends upon the
section and upon- the Reynolds number and Mach number,
an additj-onal locus Iilne
has been included for an angle
of attack of 16.
For values of F/L greater than
about 0.1, the highest blade angles are encountered at
tho blade tip instead of inboard; hence, locus lines
for angles of attack of 12 and 1-6at the blade tip, at
an azimuth angle of 270S
are substituted for those for
T
= 0.4 whenever the tip locus lines fall above those
for
- ook~
T
In the charts presented heiein, the locus Ilnes for
the conditions for ~~hicha blade element at.an azimuth
angle of 270* with a relative velocity
uJ2? equal to
J-
four-tenths the :eotatlonal tip speedreached a specified
angle of attack are designated by the symbol
Similarlyj the locus lines for the
%,7=@4)(2.7fJO)0
conditions for which the blade tip at an azimuth angle
of 270 reached a specified angle of attack are desig-
nate~ by the symbol a
( 1. 0) ( 2700)
RESULTS
The charts of (D/L)o
obtained for the sample
rotor SLreshown in figure 2.
The chart for
p/L = 0,
>>
NACA ACR ~!O . L4U07
.....
...,
that is,
for autorotation,, ;s the same as figure 3
.Qfre.$e.rence1 ex,cept for thechoice of limit lines. A
value of P/L
.tif 0.2~a-y be eonstdered as typical of
present helicopter? at-ornb~r cruising speed.
Values
lower than 0.2 correspond tocleaner craftor to a
power-on glide.
Higher values ,corrbspondto less stream-
lined craft or to a positive ariglerof climb; the highest
value covered by the present charts, P/L = 0.5,
tiaybe
viewed as representing a typical helicopter climbing at
an angle of approximately 15 or 20.
DISCUSSION
Inspection of the charts reveals that the effect
of increasing power on the optimum
(D/L)o,
as indi-
cated by the lowest points on the liw.itlines, is to
produce a moderate but progressive increase in the
magnitude of the value of
(D/L).
and.to shift the
optimum tip-speed ratio toward lower values.
It may
be remarked that similar charts for twisted blades
show a relatively insignificant increase in
(D/L)o,
up to values of
P/L of 0.2 or higher.
AS has already been noted, for both helicopter and
autogiro conditions, the optiml.nn
(D/L).
is indicated
as being obtained at the highest ,pitch angles permitted
by the section angles of attack encountered on the
retreating side of the rotor disk.
The choice of pitch
angles materially lower than those corresponding to the
locus lines for an angle of attack of12 results in
extreme inefficiency.
SAMPLE PEIU?ORMANCE CAI&~TION
. . ..
Power absorbed by main rotor.- In order to illustrate
the manner in which he charts may be used to estimate
the power required by a helicopter under a given set of
conditions, an example has been included.
Assume ahelicopter to be operating i.nlevel flight
at sea level under the following conditions:
Forward speed, feet per second
G G ,.G G .*G ..G *...,......$: @%?Qs
Tip-speed ratio,
.,..0...*.,*.. 6*...*.. 0 . . . . 0 , . .
Disk loading, poun$s per square foot ............... 215
1$
,6s~
~%p \%
Gross weight; pounds
~t
.*,...9..9G ******+**........**.*
3140
Rotor radius, feet .........0G ******
4
G *******9.. 9*.*.
20
Blade plan form ...................}....... . Rectangular }
Blade twist ....G ...G ....G ...........,...G **.*.,.*.
None
c Solidity .......................................... 0.07
9
Parasite-drag area, square feet ~ .? . . . . . . . AO. OOOO 15
, . ,. - , -- . . , ,
For these asswptions, /-CL = 0.32
and
~ = 4.70.
In order to obtain a first a~p%m+lm%l%on to (s/L)8igfor
use in equation (l),
P/L is assumed to be 0.2. -
ure 2(e) then gives a value of 0.086 for
(D/L)o at the
intersection o.fthe curve for v = 0.2 with the line for
~ = 4. 70. The value of
(D/L)i,
as indicated in refer-
W
ence 1, is simply CL~ or 0.082. The parasite drag-
lift ratio is
o
D
0. 001139 x 15 x ( 80) 2
Z*= 3140
= 0. 036
Since the rate of climb is assumed zero, the value
of P/L from equation {1) is
P
- = 0. 086 + 0.082 + 0. 036 + o
L
= 0.204
As a second approximations the value of
(D/L). may
be obtained by interpolation between the charts for
P
- = 0.20 and for
P
- = 0.25. The value so obtained is,
L
L
within the limits of accurac
E
in reading the charts, equal
to the original value of 0.0 6 and no further approxima-
tions are necessary.
The total rotor-shaft power required for the specified
condition may now be calculated as
0. 204 x 3140 x 80
550
= 93.2 horsepower
Power absorbed by auxiliary rotor.- The charts may
also be used to estimate the power absorbed by the tail
rotor.
Assume that the torque of the-main rotor is being
counteracted by an articulated auxiliary rotor having
the following characteristics:
Blade plan form
..G G G G ..G G G G .G G G G *G 0..G G G G G .
Rectangular
Blade twist
None
G ..G ...0.G ...G G ..*****G *..,....G G ,......
Solidity .,.**G .G G .*G G *.G G G G *G G **G G ******* G G *G G G G **
0.10
NACA AC??I?o . 4H07 f~j
7
Spindle angle, a,-degrees
, 00. . 0. 0. . . . . . . . . . G . . . . . . . o
Distance between spindle ...and. main .._
rotor axis, feet
G .*....*,...................*,..* 2
Radi~~s,feet
.*.*....*G .***.*.*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0. G . , . .
z
Tip-speed ratio ..*,..*..* ...............*....G *,...
0.2
The tail-rotor thrust, based on the main-rotor power
already calculated,
is 102.7 pounds and the corresponding
thrust coefficient
CT iS 0. 00536.
The inflow-velocity
factor A may be obtained from equation (8) of refer-
ence 1
a
A
%
=
-+
v
2W2
Substitutl;n of the values for the present case gives a
va~ue of = - 0. 0134.
By using a lift-curve slope a
of 5.73 per radian, substitution of this value of A in
equation (6) of reference 1 gives a blade pitch an@e 6
of 4.470.
in order to permit the use of the charts of figure 2,
it is convenient to calculate the value of
CL-O from the
relation
CL 2C!Tl
=
5
2
Gv
CL
which gives a value of ~= ,Zo6~.
The value of P/L
corresponding to the specified cow.bination of values ~,
e,
and CL/O is found by interpolation between fig-
ures 2(c) and 2(d) to be 0.138.
The auxiliary-rotor shaft power is then
0. 138 x 102. 7 x 80
= 2.1 horsepower
550
Since the auxiliary rotor may also be producing a drag,
the total power charged to torque counteraction should.
be calculated from the sum of the values of
(D/L) and
(D/L)i.
The value of
(D/L). at P/L = 0.138, bj
interpolation ~rom figure 2, is 0.120.
(lI/L)i is
The value of
= 0. 067
The total drag-lift ratio is then 0.187 and the corre-
sponding power Is 2.8 horsepower.
The difference between
the two values ofpower results from the drag on the
auxiliary rotor and hence must be supplied through the
main-rotor shaft; the revised value of main-rotor shaft
power is then 93.9 horsepower.
If a particularly rigorous treatment is desired,
the difference between the auxiliary-rotor values of
(D/L). + (D/L)f and
P/L should be converted into a
drag-lift rati; bas~d on the main-rotor lift, that is,
0.049 = or
3140
0.002 for the present case.
This
value should then be added to the original value of
(D/L)m
used in the nain-.rotor calculations, and the
entir~ proced-me repeated. Examination of the problem
has shown, however, that the differences so obtained
are negligible for normal ranges of variables, since
the rotor profile drag-lift ratio is not particularly
sensitive to tinevalue of
P/L used.
CONCLTJSIONS
1, The profile drag-lift ratio of a power-driven
rotor in forward flight can be completely specified for
various combinations of pitch angle, tip-speed ratio,
and solidity by a series of charts for different values
of power input. On the charts, the profile drag-lift
ratio is plotted against the ratio oflift coefficient
to solidity for specified values of pitch angle and tip-
speed ratio.
2. For a rotor with rectangular untwisted blades,
the theoretically derived charts indicate that one
effect of ir.c.reasingthe shaft power input is to produce
.a moderate increase in the profile drag-lift ratio.
3.
Regardless of tfi.eamount of power used, the
optimum profile drag-lift ratio is obtained at the
highest pitch angles permitted.by the high section angles
of attackencountered on the retreating side of the rotor
disk.
Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
Langley Field, Va.
REFERENCES
~
1. Bailey, l?.J., Jr.:
A Simplified Theoretical Method
t)
of Determining the Characteristics of a Lifting
I
I Rotor in Forward Flight. NACA Rep. No. 716, 1941.
I
~. Jacobs, Eastman ~., and Shep--an, Albert:
Airfoil
Section Characteristics as Affected by Vari-
ations of the Reynolds Number.
NACA Rep. NO. 586,
1937.
~. Jacobs, Eastman IT.,and Clay, William C.: Chara~-
teristics of the N.A.C.A. 23012 Airfoil from
Tests in the Full-Scale and Variable-Density
Tunne1s.
NACA Rep. No. 530, 1935.
4. GOett, Harry J., and Bull.ivant, W. Ke~eth: Tests
of N.A.C.A. 0009, 0012, and 0018 Airfoils in the
Full-Scale Tunnel. NACA Rep. No. 647, 1938.
5. Tetervin, Neal: Tests in the NACA Two-Dimensional
Low-Turbulence Tunnel of Airfoil Sections Designed
to Have Small Pitching Moments and High Lift-Drag
Ratios. NACA CB No. 3113, 1943.
I
1
,&
NACA ACR No. L41i07 Fig. la
.048
:044
., -. ...
.040
0
iVA(2A 230J2
/
t .036
%/
.
1
$
/
!
i
;$ .032
k
/
o
Q .028
~
b
I .024
q
I
g
NACA 00 12 ~ ,
/ f
/
zzt ~
1
& .020
/
~
N
L
Q .0/0 -
%
/
.0123,
----
.008
- Cd*
= 0.0087+0216 CCo+Q400Eoe
NAl l ONAL ADVWRY
.004
RMWEE FORAHgNAuncs
-2 o 2 4 8 8 10 /2 14 @
Section angb of aTtQck, @70, deg
(a)
Data from NACA variable-density tunnel; Reynolds number,
2.6 x 106; reference 2.
Figure 1.- Comparison of the power-series profile-drag curve
used In the analysls with experimental data on representat~ve
alrfo%l sections.
NACA ACR NO. L4H07
Fig. lb
I I
.V--r
4
$
(
/
/
/1
//
& .020
/f /
/
~
,/
\
k
}
$ .o~6 .
/
/
9 /
/
.0/2 ~ ~
IVACA23012
.-
~. ~
-------- -------
- x
NATI ONAL AD1I S( I RY
.004 -
NACA 00/2 cOMMI TTEE FORAfRONAUTI CS
o
-2 02
4 6 6 /0
4
/2 /4 16
SecT ion angle of at fuck, Go, deg
.-
(b) Data from NAGA Ihll-soale tunnel; Reynolds number, 3.4 x 106;
references 3 and 4.
.!
rl~e 1.- Continue&
NACA ACR No. L44H07 Fig. lC
.048
,044 . ... . .. ..... ., .-
.,..-,.+ .
.040
.036
.032
.
.026
1
/
Cdo=0.0087-0.0216 GCO+Q400cC02 \
I
.024
.020
I
J/ /
.016
/1
I
.012
I
~ NACA230/S
.008
I
.(W4
+ A!AL7A3-H-13.5
m CA 2301 2 (l?=3. Oxmy
NATI ONAL AOVI SORY
COMMI TTEE FOi AERONAUTI CS
o
-2 0 2 4 6 8 /0 /2 /4 ,
Sect~on ang/e of attack, (XO, cieg
Data from NACA two-dimensional low-turbulence tunnel and
NACA two-d$mens~onal low-turbulence pree8ure tunel;
Reynolds number, 2.6 x 106; referenoe 5 and unpublished
data.
Figure 1.- Continued.
IVACA ACR No. L4H07,
Fig. ld
.048
curve
- P++
,Fl Fffbric-covered bl@de with solid
Ieadin edge; NACAOO12 -se@w;
f Reyno ds numbe~ 1.72 x /0
.0+0
B PI wood-co verea b/~de sNACA 00/2 section;
#eyno/ds Ylwnbef-j ,.7L9-X ,0
0
z .036
K
~
.Q .032
~
Cdo
= 0.0087-00216 Q?O+0.400CCOa
al
o
0 .028
2
/
+ .02+
/
*
g
/
/
~ .020
/
.8
R
a
Q .016
%
/
P
/ // !
/

/
/
.012
.008 -.,
A
/
. -
MTDWL AWKORY
.004
COMMl l Tk 10RAERONAUTI CS
-2 0
2 4- 6 8 /0 /2 /+ /(
(d) Data on practical-constmction rotor-blade specimens,
from
NACA two-dimensional low-turbulence
unpubl~shed data.
pressure tunnel;
FQzjure1.- Concluded..
NACA ACR No. L4H07
Fig. 2a
.2(
.2t
.24
.22
.2(
.18
.16
.)4
.12
./0
.OE
.Oe
.04
.02
0
0
K I LI I I I II I I
Y l\l
n. I I I
11111111 f l ATI i 3NAdI s0Al l I
I I 1, 1 1 Ill 1 I 1 1 1 1111 1
.2
F-J-
lb ~~ ;_~o f~o /Qo fio
L#i4 coefikf%- 3JA:o *A
CJJM1/ Il i E ORARONI UTNs
I 1 1
U_L1r 1Ill I
Illully I Ullu, bL/ u,
C-L
9
(a)~L = Q
-
Figure 2. Profile drag -fift ratio for sarnp[e rotoc
.
NACA ACR No. L4H07
Fig. 2b
.2t
.26
.8?4
.22
.2C
.18
./6
.14
./2
./0
.06
.06
.04
.02
0
- b
\ \ \ \ \ \
)
\\ \
\
\
\ \, .

(b) P/L = .05 ~

Figure 2. CocVin.iea.
NACA ACR No. L4H07 Fig. 2C
.28
:26
.24
.22
.20
.18
./6
.14
.12
./0
,06
.06
.04
.02
0
Lift coefflcien?- so~d~ ratio, ~/o--
(6) P/L= ./0.
Figure 2.- Con7727uecf.
NACA ACR No. L4H07
-
Fig. 2d
1!
.2&
.%
.24
.22
.20
./8
./6
.14
./2
./0
.08
.06
.04
*
.02
0
.
(d) P/L = .13
Figure 2- Continued.
I
I
I
I
1
NACA ACR No,. L4H07
Fig. 2e
.2[
.2(
.2A
.22
a
./8
,16
./4
.}2
./0
.08
.06
.04
.02
()
,i
.
( e) P/L=.20.
. .
Figure 2. Continued.
b
NACA ACR No. L4H07
Fig. 2f
.2&
.26
,24
.22
.2C
./8
./6
.14
./2
./0
.08
.&
.04
.02
0
\
I \\ \l \ I \K I \ I I Iv I 11111
=X
1
Lift coefficient soh!;fy ratio, ~/&-
(f) P/L =.25
Figure 2. Conjinued.
o
.. .
NA13A AcR NO. L4H07
~ Fig. 2g
,
.21f
ix
.24
.22
,2(
.18
.16
./4
./2
./0
,08
.0(5
.04
.02
0
0
@) I%L= .3L
Figure Z.- ConTinu~d.
~
.
II 1111 Ilmlmn-m-mm 1 ,,, ,., , ,, --., . ,, . . ,---- --- .- .,-.. .,
NACA ACR No. L4H07
Fig. 2h
i28
.26
.24
.22
.20
.18
,/6
,14
./2
./0
.Ot
.Ot
.04
.02
II
1. \ l\ \l l\ I l\ IN I 1 1111111111 1111111111 I I I I I I
~
(h) ~L = .35
Fiqure 2- Continueci.
NACA ACR No. L4H07 Fig. 2i
.2&
.26
.24
.22
.20
./8
1
./6
.14~
./2
.10
.08
.06
.04
.02
0
Lift coefficient sohdi~y ratio, ~/E
(i) P/L = .40.
Figure 2. Continued.
~ - - m mm-l mmmm- - mmm- mnm , mm, mm, mI I .mII NB I I m III muI .8 , ,,, , , .,,, --., -..-, . ,,,,. -, ,,,. . ,, ,,,. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .
.. ..- .......-

NACA ACR No. L4H07 Fig. 2j
28
.26
.24
.22
. 20
.
./8
,/6
./4
./2
I I I II
,08
.06
.04
,02
0
Lift coefficient - solkiity ra~io, ~/b-
(j) P/L = .45.
Figure Z.- Continued. Y~IW
.
.!
NACA ACR No. L4H07
.2{
.2(
.24
.22
.2C
,18
./6
./4
./2
./0
.08
,06
,04
.02
0
Fig. 2k
i? .4 .6.8 1(9 M 40 . r- ..- ..- ,.- Zo ao 100 KO
Lift coefficient sofidity ratio, ~/o- -
(k] ~L =.5o
17qure Z- Concluded.