Optimum blade loading for a powered rotor in descent

The optimum loading for rotors has previously been found for hover, climb and wind turbine conditions; but, up to now, no one has determined the optimum rotor loading in descent. This could be an important design consideration for rotary-wing parachutes and low-speed descents. In this paper, the optimal loading for a powered rotor in descent is found from momentum theory based on a variational principle. This loading is compared with the optimal loading for a rotor in hover or climb and with the Betz rotor loading (which is optimum for a lightly-loaded rotor). Wake contraction for each of the various loadings is also presented.