Rotorcraft acoustics research focuses on the study and control of source noise, interior noise, gear noise, propagation, and concepts for low-noise operations in the future.

Interdependent task areas in the acoustics discipline concentrate on the development of validated prediction tools and capabilities for the rotorcraft vehicle system as well as validated prediction tools for its components, i.e., rotor, engine, interior noise, propagation, and acoustic scattering. System capabilities combine the components so that rotorcraft source noise and its propagation can be investigated for noise impact due to rotor design and/or rotorcraft operations and procedures. Tools will cover a range of fidelity, in that they will include first-principle computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational structural dynamics (CSD) capabilities and validated analysis tools that are also appropriate for integration into multidisciplinary predictive capabilities for development and assessment of noise technologies and noise mitigation procedures.