| This thesis presents the design, fabrication, testing and analytical study of a autonomous autorotative payload delivery system called the Autobody. The full scale instrumented prototype is flight tested by dropping it from a hot air balloon. The aim of the instrumented flight tests is to establish the proof-of-concept of the optimum configuration, to ensure the rotor settings achieved a safe steady state rate of descent as well as to obtain data to validate the analytical predictions. For an Autobody of 5 lbs. with a -41° pitch-flap coupling angle, a -10° pitch and a -4° precone, a minimum steady state descending velocity of 13.5 ft/s was observed. The flight test data showed a maximum error of 22.2% from the analytical predictions. Based on the theory and the flight tests, it is concluded that the proposed Autobody satisfactorily meets all operational requirements. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
