FINAL YEAR PROJECT PHASE-1 (17AE7ICPR1)

Design and Analysis of

Helicopter Tail using
Composite Materials
Under the guidance of Submitted by
Timbadiya Prayag C 1DS17AE032
Dr. Rudresh M Shah Rutvik Ashwinbhai 1DS17AE036
Department of Aeronautical Engineering Srijan Rai 1DS17AE048
Veeresh Bovi 1DS17AE054
INTRODUCTION

 Aircraft is a vehicle that moves in air due to the phenomenon of Lift Generation. Aircraft
can be classified based on intended use or operational limits for that particular vehicle as
per FAA.
 The two main categories in which the aircrafts are classified are vehicles Lighter-than-air
and vehicles Heavier-than-air.
 For commercial, general aviation and defense purposes, aircrafts classified under the
Heavier-than-air category are used.
 Further, these aircrafts can be classified based on the wing configuration of the particular
vehicle.
 They are broadly classified as Fixed-Wing Airplanes and Rotary-Wing Airplanes. Rotary-
Wing airplanes may consist of Helicopters, Autogiros etc.
 …CONTINUE

 A helicopter is a kind of rotary-wing

aircraft in which lift as well as thrust are
provided by horizontally-spinning rotors.
 This permits the helicopter to take off and
land vertically, to hover, and to fly
forward, backward and laterally.
 These characteristics allow helicopters to
be operated in overcrowded or isolated
areas where fixed-wing aircraft and
several different forms of VTOL (Vertical
Takeoff and Landing) aircraft cannot
perform.
 …CONTINUE

 Helicopters come in many dimensions and shapes, but

most share the identical chief components.
 These components comprise of a cabin where the crew
and payload are carried; an airframe, which
accommodates the various components, or where
components are attached; a powerplant or engine;
and a transmission, which derives the power from the
engine and transmits it to the main rotor, which provides
the aerodynamic forces that enables the helicopter fly.
 Then, to keep the helicopter from spinning due to
torque, there should be some sort of antitorque system.
 Finally, there is the landing gear, which could be skids,
wheels, skis, or floats.
 Adjacent figure depicts the different components of a
typical helicopter.
 …CONTINUE

 For this project, we are concerned with the Tail

Boom assembly of the Helicopter.
 The tail boom of the helicopter mainly consists
of Tail Rotor, horizontal and vertical stabilizers
and a tail skid.
 The configuration of almost all helicopter types
in current service includes a horizontal
tailplane, or stabilizer.
 The function of such a lifting surface is to
improve static longitudinal stability by providing
a pitching moment to counter any tendency
for the pitch attitude of the helicopter to
deviate from a chosen steady flight condition,
and to improve dynamic stability by damping
out any divergent or oscillatory response.
 …CONTINUE

 For the modelling of such tail booms, composite materials can be used which improves
the structure reliability by imparting higher strengths at lower weights effectively increasing
the thrust-to-weight ratio of the overall helicopter.
 The lightweight materials such as composites are often used for the aerospace structures.
 As tail booms are the structures connecting the tail rotor to the fuselage, it is mainly
subjected to the pitching moment and torsion.
 Because it is long, to obtain the enough distance between the tail rotor and the main
rotor, the materials used for manufacturing the tail boom needs to be a lightweight
material.
 The structural optimization of the tail boom is also necessary.
LITERATURE REVIEW

[1] C. G. Krishnadas Nair “Technology Development and application of composites at HAL”,

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bangalore, Bull Mater Science Volume 17, No. 6, November 1994,
pp. 1181-1196
[2] M. Van Tooren, C. Kasapoglou and H. Bersee “Composite materials, Composite structures,
Composite systems” , Fokker Aerostructures and Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, TU Delft, The
Aeronautical Journal, Vol. 115 No. 1174, December 2011, pp. 779-787
[3] R. J. D’mello, m. Maiaru and a. M. Waas “Virtual Manufacturing of Composite Aerostructures”,
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, The Aeronautical
Journal, Vol. 120 No. 1223, January 2016, pp. 61-81
[4] P. R. Guyett and A. W. Cardrick “The certification of composite airframes” Airworthiness Division,
Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough through Tufts University on 27th July, 2017
[5] Vescovini, Riccardo, and Chiara Bisagni. "A fast procedure for the design of composite stiffened
panels." Aeronautical Journal 119.1212 (2015): 185-201.
[6] Wan, Ao-Shuang, et al. "Finite element modeling and fatigue life prediction of helicopter
composite tail structure under multipoint coordinated loading spectrum." Composite Structures 255
(2020): 112900.
 …CONTINUE

[7] Fink, A., Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH, 2019. Helicopter with a fuselage and a
composite tail boom. U.S. Patent 10,279,885.
[8] Strohrmann, Katharina, and Manfred Hajek. "An Eco-Efficient Helicopter Tailplane
Hybridized from Flax, Balsa and Carbon." AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum. 2019.
[9] Baker, Donald J. "Ground Exposure of Composite Materials for Helicopters." Journal of the
American Helicopter Society 33.2 (1988): 15-20.
[10] Shi, Yu, and Constantinos Soutis. "A finite element analysis of impact damage in
composite laminates." The Aeronautical Journal 116.1186 (2012): 1331-1347.
[11] Cavagnino, Claudio, and E. Fosco. "Operational modal analysis of a lightweight
helicopter tail." (2006).
[12] Resetar, Susan A., James Curt Rogers, and Ronald W. Hess. Advanced airframe structural
materials: A primer and cost estimating methodology. No. RAND/R-4016-AF. RAND CORP
SANTA MONICA CA, 1991.
 …CONTINUE

[13] Overd, Michael. "Helicopter composite materials applications: Airframe." Wiley Encyclopedia of Composites (2011).
[14] Mrazova, Maria. "Advanced composite materials of the future in aerospace industry." Incas bulletin 5.3 (2013): 139.
[15] Davies, G. A. O., and R. Olsson. "Impact on composite structures." The Aeronautical Journal 108.1089 (2004): 541-563.
[16] Sen, Joyanto K., William E. Lindsay, and Jon C. Schuck. "Innovative manufacturing processes for a lightweight,
affordable composite helicopter airframe." (2002).
[17] Schemat, M., and J. Löffler. "Construction of a Composite helicopter-structure at Eurocopter." Composite
Optimization at Eurocopter (2012).
[18] Weber, Tobias A., and Hans-Joachim K. Ruff-Stahl. "Advances in composite manufacturing of helicopter parts."
International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace 4.1 (2017): 5.
[19] Nitzsche, Fred, S. Liberatore, and D. G. Zimcik. "Theoretical and experimental investigations on an active control
system for vertical fin buffeting alleviation using strain actuation." The Aeronautical Journal 105.1047 (2002): 277-285.
[20] Xu, Haibin, et al. "Simulation and Experimental Verification for Composite Material Structure of Helicopter Tail Fin."
Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Aerospace Technology. Springer, Singapore, 2018.
[21] Camargo, E., N. J. Jacobsen, and D. Strafacci. "Operational modal analysis on a modified helicopter." Advanced
Aerospace Applications, Volume 1. Springer, New York, NY, 2011. 265-273.
PROBLEM STATEMENT

 Thrust produced by a tail rotor counteracts the tendency of the fuselage to spin in the
opposite direction to the main rotor.
 Since the tail rotor is located at the end of a tail boom which can normally be considered
as long and slender, the magnitude of the bending moments produced is important.
 Additionally, since tail rotors are generally mounted on a fin (vertical stabilizer) extending
from the tail boom, torsional loading may also exist in the tail boom.
 Structural reliability has been a major concern in the airframe design of helicopters since it
carries more rotary components which affect the overall performance of rotorcrafts.
 Effects and abrasions due to Fatigue and Wind shear can be witnessed easily and are
comparatively more effective in disrupting the performance of the helicopter when
compared with fixed-wing airplanes having the same weight carrying capacity.
 Usage of efficient composite materials in the tail boom has been a direction of research
since many years.
OBJECTIVES

Selection of suitable helicopter parameters for design dimension

estimations.
Calculation of various dimensions of tail boom assembly based
on the weight and loads(forces) estimations.
Modelling of the tail boom assembly with precise and scaled
dimensions
Selection and incorporation of composite materials with high
strength-to-weight ratio for the construction of tail-boom
assembly.
Structural Analysis of the tail boom assembly by applying Composite
Materials
METHODOLOGY
Selection of the type of helicopter from various different available options having different intended roles and
weight carrying capacity.

Obtaining a range of weight carrying capacity and disk loading for that particular selected helicopter.

From the weight to be carried, calculation of radius for main rotor and tail rotor for that helicopter.

The radius of main rotor and tail rotor will serve as necessary inputs for the calculation of the effective tail boom
length required for the helicopter

Different forces and moments acting on the tail boom will be calculated analytically to precisely find the proper
required dimensions of the cross-section of the tail boom.

From the dimensions obtained, tail boom assembly to be modelled using pre-defined cross-section meeting the
dead weight requirements for that helicopter based on the thrust available from the main rotor.

Selection of composite materials from the literature obtained and carrying out extensive comparisons between
materials before applying the finalized material to the modelled tail boom assembly.

Structural Analysis of the Tail Boom Assembly determining crucial things that go in the Airworthiness process and
obtaining precise values for calculation of various factors that affect the performance.
SELECTION OF HELICOPTER

 There are various factors that needs to be considered before selecting any helicopter.
 Airline company or any organization first looks at their own requirement which needs to be
fulfilled followed by a detailed market survey.
 They consider factors like Engine Performance, Air routes adaptability, Aerial range and distance,
economics of a certain helicopter, intended service roles, routine work temperature and pressure
etc.
 After all these long processes, a type and class of helicopter and its manufacturer is decided.
 For this project, we are selecting a typical 2-seater, single rotor, shaft-powered, light utility
helicopter which finds its application in varied fields of commercial aviation as well as in the
military.
 Definition of a light weight helicopter was given by NASA as the one having less than 5000 kg
gross weight.
 …CONTINUE

 Gross weight is an important parameter for any aircraft as it is a starting point for any calculations.
 For our project, we will also need another parameter known as disk loading which is required to calculate
the effective tail boom length any helicopter requires to bestructurally stable.
 We referenced many different light utility helicopters for gross weight estimation and disk loading. We
selected four of the most used helicopters in recent times.
 The table below gives the gross weight and disk loading for each helicopter.
Sr. No. Name of Helicopter Gross Weight in Kgs Gross Weight in lbs. Disk Loading in Disk Loading in
kg/m2 lb./sq ft

1 Robinson R22 417 920 12.7 2.61

2 Schweizer S300 930 2050 17.7 3.62

3 Hughes TH-55 Osage 703 1550 16 3.22

4 Robinson R44 1134 2500 14.1 2.88

 Schweizer S300 Light Helicopter

Robinson R22 Light Utility Helicopter

 CALCULATION FOR TAIL BOOM
DIMENSIONS
 It can be seen from Table that for light utility helicopters, there is a specific range of disk loading and gross weight.
For our project we will be taking gross weight as 1750 lbs. and disk loading as 3.08 lb./sq ft as the assumed
parameters which are simply the average of all the values for weight and disk loading tabulated above.
 Calculation of Tail Boom Length
 Wgross = 1750 lbs. = 793.78 kg = 7784.332 N
 Disk Loading = DL = 3.08 lb./sq ft = 15.0378 kg/m^3 = 147.47 N/m^2

Now, the formula to find the radius of the main rotor is given as:

𝑊𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 1750
𝑅𝑚𝑟 = =
𝐷𝐿 × 𝜋 3.08 × 𝜋

∴ 𝑅𝑚𝑟 = 13.44 𝑓𝑡 = 4.09 𝑚

 …CONTINUE

 Now, we need to find the radius of the tail rotor. For this, we will refer to figure given below
 …CONTINUE

 From the figure, we can find the radius of tail rotor, which is,

𝑅𝑡𝑟 = 0.36 𝑅𝑚𝑟

∴ 𝑅𝑡𝑟 = 0.36 × 13.44

∴ 𝑅𝑡𝑟 = 4.83 𝑓𝑡 = 1.47 𝑚

 …CONTINUE

 Now that we have both, the radius of the main rotor and the radius of the main
rotor, we can find the length of the tail boom using the formula given below.
 The longer the tail boom, the shorter will be the tail rotor radius which can be
economically beneficial.
 But there is a problem.
 As we increase the length of the tail boom, the CG of the helicopter shifts
backwards which affects the stability of the helicopter.
 So, a formula was devised by researchers to obtain safe length of the tail boom
which is the effective distance from the aircraft CG to the tail of the helicopter
 …CONTINUE

𝐿𝑡𝑏 = 𝑅𝑚𝑟 + 𝑅𝑡𝑟 + 0.5𝑓𝑡

∴ 𝐿𝑡𝑏 = 13.44 + 4.83 + 0.5𝑓𝑡

∴ 𝐿𝑡𝑏 = 18.77 𝑓𝑡 = 5.72 m
 …CONTINUE

 Now, we move onto the calculations of various loads(forces) and moments acting on the tail
boom.

 First, let us consider that the helicopter is hovering in a static condition, the thrust produced due to
main rotor can be given as,

𝑇 = 2𝜌𝐴𝑣𝑖2

Where, T = Thrust due to main rotor

A = Area of main rotor

vi = Induced Velocity
 …CONTINUE

𝑇 1 𝑇
 Now, for induced Velocity, 𝑣𝑖 = × { = Disk Loading (DL)}
𝐴 2𝜌 𝐴

𝐷𝐿
∴ 𝑣𝑖 =
2𝜌

 Thus, we can write,

𝐷𝐿
𝑇 = 2𝜌𝐴
2𝜌

∴ 𝑇 = 2𝐴 × 𝐷𝐿
 …CONTINUE

2 = 567.47 𝑓𝑡 2 = 52.72 𝑚2
 We know that 𝐴 = 𝜋 × 𝑅𝑚𝑟

 Now, Power required to drive the main rotor can be expressed as,

𝑃𝑟 = 𝑇 × 𝑣𝑖

 Also, power required can be written as,

Σ𝑃𝑟 = 𝜔𝑄

Where, 𝜔 = Angular Velocity

Q = Torque generated due to rotation of main rotor

 …CONTINUE

 From the above two equations, we can equate the RHS such that,

𝐷𝐿
 𝜔𝑄 = 𝑇 × 𝑣𝑖 = 2𝐴 × 𝐷𝐿 × 𝑣𝑖 = 2𝐴 × 𝐷𝐿 × 2𝜌

 Therefore, we can write an equation for torque as,

𝐷𝐿 147.47
2𝐴 × 𝐷𝐿 × 2 × 52.72 × 147.47 ×
2𝜌 2 × 1.225
𝑄= =
𝜔 𝜔

120636.263
∴𝑄=
𝜔
 …CONTINUE

 For a light utility helicopter, the main rotor, during hover, spins at an average of 450 rpm. This value is derived from the helicopters
considered in Table 1.

 Thus, N = 450 rpm

2×𝜋×𝑁 2 × 3.14 × 450

∴ 𝜔= =
60 60

𝑟𝑎𝑑
∴ 𝜔 = 47.123
𝑠

 Thus,

120636.263
𝑄=
47.123

∴ 𝑄 = 2560.029 𝑁𝑚
 …CONTINUE

 The torque obtained is due to the rotation of main rotor.

 For a stable helicopter, the tail rotor should balance and equally oppose the torque
generated by main rotor to maintain the stable flight direction.
 Thus, the tail rotor generates the anti-torque which is numerically the same as the
torque due to tail rotor.
Thus, anti-torque Q = 2560.029 Nm
WORK CARRIED OUT

 Extensive Literature Survey was conducted in understanding the importance of tail boom
assembly and various loads acting on the tail boom.
 Different composite materials were found from many research papers that will help in the
process of analysis of the model.
 The process of determining the thrust available and required and Power available and
required were studied.
 Further, the system of finding the appropriate dimensions for tail boom was understood
using different research papers.
 Insight into composite materials gave valuable knowledge on their composition and
material properties and their importance in the Aerospace Field.
 Calculations for the effective tail boom length was carried out involving main rotor radius
and tail rotor radius.
 Calculations for anti-torque was carried out which will help in calculating various loads,
forces and moments acting on and due to the tail boom.
WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT

 Modelling of the tail boom will be done based on the necessary calculations as
described in the methodology.
 Selection of composite materials will be made from many options available from
the literature.
 Specific attention will be given to the Material Properties to determine which
material suits the best for the tail boom assembly.
 Precise modelling will make the analysis process less complicated.
 Structural Analysis will be carried out to know the Fatigue life of the composites
and also various loads acting on the tail boom and the effect of using a
particular composite material in absorbing the loads.
 PLAN OF WORK
Sl. No. Events Sept 2020 Oct 2020 Nov 2020 Dec 2020 Jan 2021 Feb 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021

1 Selection of Topic
2 Literature Survey
3 Submission of Synopsis

4 Calculation of tail boom length

5 Calculation of Anti-torque

6 Report and Presentation Phase-1

7 Calculation of Loads and Moments

8 Modelling of tail assembly

9 Report and Presentation Phase-2

10 Analysis of model using various

composite materials
11 Comparison of standard and
proposed materials
12 Final Report Preparation

13 Completion of final Report and

Presentation Phase-3
 DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

THANK YOU
By

Timbadiya Prayag C
Shah Rutvik Ashwinbhai
Srijan Rai
Veeresh Bovi