Tilt-rotor aerodynamics activities during the nicetrip project

Abstract

The aerodynamic re-design and characterization of the Erica tilt-rotor aircraft, carried out by some Partners of the NICETRIP consortium, is presented. The re-design activities concern some specific aircraft components, like the fuselage/wing fairing, the wing airfoils, the blade cuff and the rotor spinner. The aerodynamic characterization is carried out both experimentally and numerically, although the present paper is focused on the numerical work, with the aim at identifying improvements of current ERICA geometry leading to improved aerodynamic performance.