H V A B

This website provides access to data acquired during a model-scale hover test of a 4-bladed, 11.08-ft diameter rotor (designated the Hover Validation and Acoustic Baseline (HVAB) rotor) conducted inside the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel test section. The primary objective of the test was to acquire key experimental data for a hovering rotor of sufficient quality and quantity to allow validation of state-of-the-art analysis codes. A comprehensive measurement set has been acquired, including rotor performance, blade airloads, flow transition locations, blade deflections, and wake geometry for a range of tip Mach numbers and collective settings. A summary of this test program, including detailed descriptions of the test hardware, test objectives, approach and sample results, was presented at the VFS 79th Annual Forum A more detailed description of the blade geometry, instrumentation, and structure are provided in NTRS Additional information, including blade surface geometry and a representative CFD volume grid, can be found on the website of the AIAA Rotorcraft Hover Prediction Workshop

A general description of the HVAB test data (including a run list, parameter descriptions, and recommendations on how to best use the data for validation) is provided in the General Information tab. The actual test data is provided under the following tabs: Performance Data, Thermography Data (Transition Locations), Shadowgraphy Data (Wake Geometry), Photogrammetry Data (Blade Deflections), and Pressure and Airloads Data.

Data has been released to this website in initial phases as final data reduction is completed. Any data (or description) updates will be documented in the following revision history. Questions or comments on the provided information can be directed to Tom Norman

Revision History

11/6/23 – Initial release of blade pressure and airloads data (including Readme files). Updated Readme file for the shadowgraphy data (added plots) as well as the Data Use Recommendations file (in the General Info section; noted kulite location errors in NASA TM).

9/28/23 - Initial release of test data. Includes all performance, photogrammetry, shadowgraphy, and pressure data. Thermography data provided for Runs 50, 52, and 54; digitized transition data for upper surface only.