The paper presents the application of three aerodynamic prediction methods, covering a wide spectrum of sophistication and computational efficiency, to a model-scale coaxial rotor with highly twisted blades. The first method is based on bladeelement momentum theory. The second is based on a free-vortex wake model, and the third is a computational fluid dynamics analysis based on Navier-Stokes solutions on structured grids. The results are compared with experimental data from model rotor tests in hover. There is generally good agreement between theory and experiment for the quantities considered, namely rotor thrust, torque, and inflow, but the results from the three methods differ in several important details. The best approach to coaxial rotor aerodynamic analysis judiciously combines the three predictive capabilities depending on the level of detail desired and uses a more sophisticated approach to calibrate and correct a simpler one.
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