Abstract
Determining the dynamic properties in the frequency domain of aircraft structural elements is a very important aspect taken into account nowadays by aircraft manufacturers. One of the helicopters most exposed element to structural vibrations is the rotor blade, thus making its construction and the material choice a very important decision. Finite element methods can be used to assess the vibrational properties of such elements, in order to prove their airworthiness. The main objective of the article is to study how the use of different materials affects the structural behavior of the helicopter tail rotor blade, with regard to the frequencies at which these structures are prone to vibrate. The blade profile is the NACA0012 symmetric airfoil used on the IAR330 helicopter tail rotor blade and the main objective is to identify the best inner core material, while highlighting the importance of polymeric materials.
Keywords: helicopter tail rotor blade; composite materials; polymeric foams; vibrational study