Experimental Aeromechanics
Experimental Aeromechanics combines vacuum chamber, hover, and wind-tunnel tests to dissect and discover flow physics, deformations/strain patterns, vibratory loads and flutter behavior of existing and new concepts for feasibility, envelope expansion, and to acquire high-quality validation data for conditions too challenging even for computational aeromechanics.
These range from stalled flow at high blade loading, to high tip Mach numbers, to high speeds of 150-200 knots, high vibratory load conditions, high advance ratio stability of slowed rotors, and whirl flutter of tiltrotors.
