In the present paper, an assessment is made of the state-of-the-art in mode
ling composite rotors with a view of bringing out the influence of special
characteristics of composite materials. The review encompasses the modeling
of thin- and thick-walled composite rotors, the influences of non-classica
l effects such as out-of-plane warping, warping restraints, and transverse
shear, non-uniformities in blade construction, large deformations, aeroelas
tic stability in hover and in forward flight, aeromechanical stability and
optimization. The paper includes recommendations for future directions in t
hese topics.