The presentation will provide an overview of helicopter rotor blade construction evolution from the first days of rotary wing flight up to present day, and review possible future technology directions and synergies.  Material types and configurations are reviewed against the demanding design and operational requirements that a helicopter rotor faces, and the joint progression of design and construction techniques is used to illustrate the growth in helicopter capability from the very first days of helicopter operations at the end of World War 2 up to present day.

Particular detail has been drawn from the rotor developments achieved by a series of joint industry/government programmes collectively titled the British Experimental Rotor Programme.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Simon Stacey joined Westland Helicopters in 1989 having obtained a Bachelor of Engineering degree with Honours from Birmingham Polytechnic in 1989.

From 1990 to 1997 he worked as a research engineer, focussing in particular on the finite element analysis of composite structures and the characterisation of composite rotor blades subjected to high and low energy impact.

Simon took the role of Task Leader on the fourth British Experimental Rotor Programme (abbreviated to BERP IV) when the programme began in October 1997, and remained in that role until programme completion in August 2007.  During that time he was responsible for the co-ordination of all technical and commercial programme activities, and acted as primary point of contact with the MoD customer.  In December 2007 Simon was one of the team members that received the Royal Aeronautical Society Team Gold Medal.

Simon is now the technical and programme team lead for active rotor studies within the AgustaWestland, and is looking forward to bringing the next generation of rotor technologies to flight demonstration in the near future.  Simon is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.