Helicopter Fuselage Model Drag Reduction by Active Flow Control Systems

Abstract

A comprehensive experimental investigation of a helicopter blunt fuselage model was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of active flow control (AFC) systems in reducing parasite fuselage drag. The main objective was to demonstrate the capability of different active technologies to decrease fuselage drag by alleviating the flow separation in the loading ramp region of large transport helicopters. The work was performed on a simplified blunt fuselage at model scale. Two different flow control actuators were considered for evaluation: steady blowing and unsteady blowing (i. e., pulsed jets). Laboratory tests of each individual actuator were performed to assess their performance and properties. The fuselage model was investigated with and without the AFC systems located along the loading ramp edges. Significant drag reductions were achieved for a wide range of fuselage angles of attack and sideslip angles without negatively affecting other aerodynamic characteristics.