Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Helicopter Fuselage Drag

The aim of this paper is to present aerodynamic analyses of realistic fuselage configurations using computational fluid dynamics. A development model of the Ansat helicopter is employed. The model is tested at the subsonic wind tunnel of the Kazan National Research Technical University/Kazan Aviation Institute for a range of Reynolds numbers, pitch, and yaw angles. The computational fluid dynamics results were found to be in fair agreement with the test data and revealed flow separation at the rear of the fuselage. Once confidence in the computational fluid dynamics method was established, further modifications were introduced to the fuselage model to demonstrate drag reduction via small shape changes. The contribution to the overall drag from each fuselage part and the interference drag between the main fuselage components were also investigated.