View Single Post
  #1  
Old April 27th 18, 01:00 AM posted to rec.aviation.rotorcraft
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Autogyro Disk Loading Question

On Wednesday, 19 March 1997 21:00:00 UTC+13, Stephen Lund wrote:
I am wondering what might be the theoretical and/or practical MINIMUM
disk loading for an autogyro and what might be the characteristics or
dificulties in flying such a lightly loaded disk?

Steve Lund


If you mean wing-loading in cruise - it is a trade-off with flight speed. The bigger the disc, the lower the disc loading, the higher the hover-efficiency (or whatever you want to call it in autorotation - I don't think the momentum argument changes) but the lower the flight speed. Also, there are practical limits to rotor diameter to do with blade-droop and ground-handling. Most designs seem to be around 10 kg/m2. Above that the efficiency falls off.....