Eurocopter Moves One Step Closer to ‘Whisper Mode’

[Frank]

This week Eurocopter unveiled its most recent effort to reduce helicopter noise with the radical-looking Blue Edge rotor blade. The new blade has been tested on one of the company’s EC155 helicopters and was shown to reduce noise 3 to 4 decibels, according to the company.

In addition to the Blue Edge rotor blade, the company also introduced something called Blue Pulse technology. Also designed to reduce helicopter noise, the Blue Pulse system uses three flap modules in the trailing edge of each rotor blade. Piezoelectric motors move actuate the flaps 15 to 40 times per second in reduce the “slap noise” often heard when a helicopter is descending.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/02/eurocopter-moves-one-step-closer-to-whisper-mode/

More information can be found at the link above while this YouTube video demonstrated the difference between the conventional blades and the new Blue Edge blades:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBS1NRsYuF8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[Tempest]

Of course I understand why they are working for noise reduction, but I can't help preferring the meatier noise of the original blade!