Helicopters are fascinating and chaotic aerodynamic creations.  Like airplanes, helicopters fly on the basis of thrust and lift.  However, unlike airplanes, helicopters force a downwash which flows through the rotor profile and toward the ground.  This gives the helicopter strange and unique qualities, such as stalling retreating blades and severely limited translational speed. 

This project was an extensive solo exploration into how the Apache AH-64 helicopter manages to fly and how power is allocated throughout the helicopter.  Much of my understanding of aerodynamics derives from this experience.