Investigation of the effect of a flapping propeller on its aerodynamic performance

Abstract

This paper focuses on the dynamic effects of flexible propellers on F2 class aircraft models. An oscillating propeller affects an engine’s mechanical performance, and this combination has a huge influence on the model’s flight dynamic performance. In the first and second sections of this paper, two physical tests that were performed according to the test results obtained using a CFX numerical model are discussed. The studies on flexible propellers for class F2 aircraft models performed in this paper show that, when the first resonant frequencies of the propeller are within the operating range of the aircraft, better flight parameters are achieved. This study helps to explain the effect of a glass composite’s Young’s modulus on the mechanical behavior of a physical propeller in operating conditions and the effect of propeller stiffness on flapping propeller dynamics and unsteady aerodynamics.