A Novel Composite Helicopter Tail Rotor Blade with Enhanced Mechanical Properties

Abstract

This paper describes the transition towards a composite structure, with the same overall aerodynamic characteristics, for a tail rotor blade of an IAR330 helicopter. The newly proposed structure of the composite blade is made of a carbon-roving spar embedded with epoxy resin, a hexagonal-cell honeycomb core manufactured by fused deposition modelling, and an outer skin made of multiple carbon-fibre-reinforced laminae. The blade was manufactured by the authors using the hand lay-up method at a scale of 1:3 with respect to the real one, and all stages of the manufacturing process are extensively described in the paper. The experimental tests were performed on an Instron 8872 testing machine by applying a bending force on its free edge, similar to the testing methodology employed by various composite blade manufacturers. A three-dimensional numerical model of the tail rotor blade was conceived, analysed using the finite element method, and validated by comparing the numerical and experimental values of the maximum bending force. Further, the model was used for a complex finite element analysis that showed the very good behaviour of the proposed composite blade during flight and emphasized the main advantages brought by the proposed composite structure.

Manufacturing Process of Helicopter Tail Rotor Blades from Composite Materials Using 3D-Printed Moulds

“…An important direction of research is the production of composite blades using different methods of manufacturing using moulds. In a recent study [42], a composite blade of the tail rotor of the IAR330 helicopter was designed and analysed using the finite element method. This blade was manufactured, at a scale of 1:3, from carbon-roving spar embedded with epoxy resin, a 3D-printed honeycomb core, and an outer skin made by hand lay-up of multiple carbon-fibre-reinforced laminae; the major advantage of manufacturing this kind of blade is the low cost.…”