Helicopter dynamics is a field within
aerospace engineering concerned with theoretical and practical aspects of
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
flight. Its comprises helicopter aerodynamics, stability, control, structural dynamics, vibration, and aeroelastic and aeromechanical stability.
By studying the forces in helicopter flight, improved helicopter designs can be made, though due to the scale and speed of the dynamics, physical testing is non-trivial and expensive. In 2013, a combination of
stereophotogrammetry
Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant ima ...
and
rigid-body correction in
post processing was shown to be a valid tool for performing these studies, and the dynamics of a Robinson R44 helicopter were measured during hovering flight, to determine blade dynamics (e.g. harmonics) and the deflection profile.
See also
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Flight dynamics (aircraft)
Flight dynamics is the science of air vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions. The three critical flight dynamics parameters are the angles of rotation in three dimensions about the vehicle's center of gravity (cg), known as ''pi ...
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Disc loading
In fluid dynamics, disk loading or disc loading is the average pressure change across an actuator disk, such as an airscrew. Airscrews with a relatively low disk loading are typically called rotors, including helicopter main rotors and tail roto ...
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Rotordynamics
Rotordynamics, also known as rotor dynamics, is a specialized branch of applied mechanics concerned with the behavior and diagnosis of rotating structures. It is commonly used to analyze the behavior of structures ranging from jet engines and st ...
References
Aerospace engineering
Helicopters
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