PINO MODOLA / GENOA
Agusta and the Italian aerospace research centre CIRA are to co-operate on advanced rotor-blade aerofoil design in a three-year study of rotary-wing concepts. Rotor-blade ice formation will be investigated in CIRA's icing windtunnel, recently used for tests on VulcanAir's VF-600W Mission (Flight International, 2-8 December). Capua-based CIRA, jointly owned by the Italian Space Agency, the Italian National Research Council and major Italian aerospace companies, may also set up a subsonic rotary-wing windtunnel. Testing will extend to helicopter crashworthiness. CIRAalso proposes anadvanced rotorcraft concept programme to study rotary-wing technologies.
Source: Flight International
