Tilt Rotor Whirl Flutter experimental investigation and assessment

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

The main content of this Topic is to design, manufacture, test and post-process the test data of a semi-span aero-elastic tiltrotor powered model in a suitable wind tunnel test facility in order to support IADP Leader in the study of the feasibility, compatibility and effectiveness of key enabling technologies of the Next Generation Civil Tilt Rotor. The Wind tunnel test campaign shall be conducted to achieve initial and final gates, described later. The main features of the model are to host an innovative split-gearbox concept, an advanced wing design which incorporates an optimized airfoil thickness ratio and structural weight, suitable to implement a movable surface concept aimed to reduce the download caused by the rotor/wing interaction in hover. With current cutting edge technologies, the rotor/wing whirl-mode stability requirements represent a challenge in the design, impacting to cruise efficiency and to maximum speed in airplane mode. The research and validation in this field, peculiar to tiltrotors only, are the fundamental steps to develop more efficient tiltrotor configurations meeting operational, economic and environmental requirements. Advances in fundamental physics knowledge and associated growth in the scientific community are then expected with this Topic. Please refer to the full topic descriptions document published in this call.