MERC uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to estimate pressure distribution and drag, evaluate external modifications and placements, and derive aerodynamic loading. CFD analysis has been used to calculate drag counts in flight manuals and to recommend aircraft modifications that improve fuel consumption and energy performance for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Our CFD capabilities include using tools such as Kestrel, Pointwise, and Fieldview. MERC has PhD-level expertise in CFD and an in-house computational cluster with reach-back to DoD high performance computing assets.
MERC uses computational fluid dynamics models of an HH-60G helicopter and a C-130 to assess potential improvements
in their aerodynamic design.