UAVOS has extended its string of successes in developing a two-blade rotor for
installation on helicopters with up to 140 kg take-off mass and rotor blade diameter of
3200 mm. Designed especially for their heavy-lift helicopter program, the all-composite
blades are keen to help meet the requirement to extend aircraft performance at high
elevations and temperatures, increase fuel efficiency, and reduce maintenance costs.
The main rotor blades underwent some internal tests including ground, hover, and flight
evaluations. Ground tests completed to date included spinning of the blades on whirl towers
to measure balance, and initial fatigue tests to determine structural strength. Blade
qualification testing will continue in an independent laboratory to include stress and fatigue
tests, additional low and high temperature testing, and ultimate load tests.
To date, the UAVOS team has conducted several test flights with the rotor blades that
included hover, traffic pattern flight, and an up-and-away flight to 1000 meters at 100 km/h
(54 knots).
The state-of-the-art carbon main rotor blades are produced with the latest carbon multi-cross-
layer technology using a curing oven. Due to gluing an all-metal edging into the leading
edge, the blades have increased wear resistance under severe weather conditions, doubling
the product’s operating life.
“Advanced geometric shaping, high-strength composite materials, and a flaw-tolerant
design all come into play to provide unmatched performance, reliability, and survivability,” –
said UAVOS CEO Aliaksei Stratsilatau.