Experimental Studies of Propeller-Wing Interactions in Transition from Hover to Forward Flight

Abstract

The increasing popularity of Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Aircraft in recent years combined with the electrification of propulsion has led to a variety of new configurations in aircraft design. The arrangement of propellers relative to the lifting surfaces introduces aerodynamic interactions that have been less studied in literature. This work outlines a test assembly designed specifically to study the effect of various geometries and their interactions. The assembly is composed of multiple independent subsystems which work in tandem to study the aerodynamic interactions in hover and transition flight. The data show that sub-optimal placement of the propeller can have a significant impact on the performance of the wing, even potentially completely negating the wing's lift at low speeds.

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