Effects of Inflow Model on Simulated Aeromechanics of a Quadrotor Helicopter

A dynamic simulation is created for a 2kg quadrotor helicopter, and several inflow models are used to analyze the behavior of the aircraft in trim in hover and forward flight. Intuitive control inputs are derived for a general quadrotor helicopter, and the effects of the inflow model on the required control inputs to achieve steady level flight are analyzed. The inflow models used include a uniform inflow model, Drees’ linear inflow model, and the Peters-He generalized dynamic wake model. The flight dynamic modes in hover are also characterized and the effects of the inflow model on their damping and natural frequency are explored.