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A significant operational milestone for NASA's Rotorcraft Program was met in FY00 with the installation and initial testing of a UH-60 Blackhawk rotor on the Large Rotor Test Apparatus (LRTA) in the 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center. This installation (see fig. 1) is the culmination of a development program undertaken to provide a unique national capability for testing moderate-to-large helicopter and tilt rotors in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC). The initial LRTA testing included operating the LRTA (without blades) at speeds up to 100 knots and hover testing of the UH-60 up to full rotor speed and at 15,000 pounds of thrust. These test efforts demonstrated the structural integrity of the LRTA and verified operation of all LRTA measurement systems. With the successful culmination of these efforts, it is clear that the LRTA is ready to become the workhorse facility for NASA's large-rotor experimental programs. The first program to use the LRTA is a joint NASA/Sikorsky/German effort to determine the benefits of individual blade control (IBC) for noise and vibration reduction, and for performance improvement.
The LRTA is a wind-tunnel test stand designed for testing helicopter and tilt rotors up to 50,000 pounds of thrust and 6,000 horsepower. Developed jointly by NASA and the U.S. Army, the LRTA provides unique operational capabilities. These include the ability to measure both steady and oscillatory rotor hub loads using a five-component balance and instrumented flex-coupling, and to provide conventional collective and cyclic pitch control, as well as dynamic high-frequency blade-pitch control.
Point of Contact: Tom Norman
(650) 604-6653
tnorman@mail.arc.nasa.gov
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Fig. 1. Large Rotor Test Apparatus in the Ames 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel.
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