Experimental investigation of Hover flowfields in water at the McDonnell Douglas Research Laboratories
Abstract
A new experimental facility, the Hover Research Facility (HRF), is designed to study the flowfields generated by hovering vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft and helicopters. Water is used as the working medium because of its inherent advantages in flow visualization and laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) measurements. The applications of the Hover Research Facility include: (1) experimental investigation of twin-jet impingement flow with application to VTOL aircraft; (2) visualization of the flowfield around a fully contoured, model supersonic fighter/attack short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft; and (3) performance testing of a No Tail Rotor (NOTAR) helicopter in hover mode by use of a scale model. Flow visualization and quantitative LDV data on these experiments are presented.
- Publication:
-
In AGARD
- Pub Date:
- June 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987arhs.agarR....S
- Keywords:
-
- Flight Tests;
- Flow Distribution;
- Flow Visualization;
- Helicopters;
- Hovering;
- Water Immersion;
- Fighter Aircraft;
- Jet Impingement;
- Laser Doppler Velocimeters;
- Supersonic Aircraft;
- Tail Rotors;
- Vertical Takeoff Aircraft;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer