한국항공우주연구원

Three test equipment items including the ‘Rotor Fatigue Test Facility’
completed by KARI (Daejeon)

With assistance from the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), headed by Dr. Lee Joo-jin, built the ‘Rotor Fatigue Test Facility’, the ‘Open Jet Wind Tunnel Test Section’ and the ‘Helicopter Engine Altitude Test Cell,’ all in Daejeon. They are designed to test the parts and components of Korean utility helicopters, which are used for both civilian and military purposes and being ambitiously developed by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. KARI announced its plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, March 11th at 3 pm.

The Rotor Fatigue Test Facility tests the strength and fatigue life of the rotor structures by simulating the flight loads and repeated loads applied on the rotor, a core element in helicopters. The establishment of this facility lays the groundwork for the localization of helicopter rotors and further development of core technologies.

The Open Jet Wind Tunnel Test Section, which was added to the existing mid-sized Low Speed Wind Tunnel for helicopter tests, is the largest of its kind in Korea. It will be used to conduct tests on rotor aerodynamics, noise and exhaust fume circulation, and it will carry out various wind tunnel tests on not only helicopters, but on wind turbines and tents as well.

With the addition of a turbo shaft engine altitude test cell to the existing engine test facility, the Helicopter Engine Altitude Test Cell can test engine performance under the temperature and pressure found in real flight heights. With this, Korea is now the 8th country in the world to have the capacity to conduct all of the height performance tests on straight-wing jet and helicopter engines.

With the establishment of these essential test and assessment facilities for helicopters, testing of Korean utility helicopters, attack helicopters and civilian helicopters can be carried out domestically, saving foreign currency, ensuring technology security and securing competitive advantage in developing our nation’s helicopters.