CFD computation of helicopter fuselage and soft rotor

Aerodynamic simulation of a helicopter in forward flight with fluid/structure coupling on the main rotor blades. ONERA simulated the aerodynamics of a helicopter in cruise flight with the ONERA CFD solver elsA. The simulation was carried out on ONERA supercomputers. The control of the main rotor and the deformation of the blades are provided by a rotorcraft comprehensive analysis, coupled to elsA. Numerical predictions were validated by comparison with wind tunnel measurements. This research received funding from the Airbus-Safran-ONERA Agreement. Author: B. Ortun (ONERA)