ROA 2009: A.3 Subsonic Rotary Wing Project (SSRW1)

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The challenge of the Subsonic Rotary Wing project of the NASA FundamentalAeronautics program is to develop validated physics-based multidisciplinary design andanalysis tools for rotorcraft, integrated with technology development, enabling rotorcraftwith advanced capabilities to fly as designed for any mission. Meeting this challenge willrequire innovative technologies and methods, with an emphasis on integrated,multidisciplinary, first-principle computational tools specifically applicable to the uniqueproblems of rotary wing aircraft.The focus of the Subsonic Rotary Wing project of the Fundamental Aeronautics programis the civil utility of rotorcraft. Several facets will be addressed at the fundamentalresearch level: efficiency, including aerodynamic performance and structural weight;productivity, which requires high speed, large payload, long range, and goodmaneuverability; and environmental acceptance, particularly noise and handling qualities.Without intending to predict where the design process will lead when truly effectivedesign and analysis tools are available, some very promising (and very challenging)configurations can be identified to drive the required fundamental research. Thechallenges faced in rotary wing aviation are among the most complex and demanding ofany configuration: highly complex, three-dimensional rotor and fuselage structures,unsteady flows in speed regimes from low subsonic to high transonic, dynamicallystalledcomponents, harsh operating environments, highly-loaded propulsion systems,and a vehicle that is statically unstable. The Subsonic Rotary Wing project will focus itsresearch effort in the most persistent technical challenge areas in order to produceadvances in prediction tool capability and technology.The Subsonic Rotary Wing project will utilize this NASA Research Announcement(NRA) to leverage in-house foundational research with academic institutions, non-profitorganizations and industry performing foundational and applied research to addresstechnology needs that are focused on unique aspects of rotorcraft configurations.

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