A rotary wing aircraft includes a fuselage having a plurality of surfaces. At least one engine is mounted in the fuselage. A rotor assembly includes a rotor shaft a plurality of rotor blades operatively connected to the rotor shaft. The rotor assembly includes a plurality of surface portions. An active air discharge opening extends through one of the plurality of surfaces of the fuselage and one of the plurality of surface portions of the rotor assembly, and an active air generation system is mounted in the fuselage. The active air generation system is configured and disposed to generate and direct a flow of air through the active air discharge opening to disrupt an airstream flowing over the one of the plurality of surfaces of the fuselage and the one of the plurality of surface portions of the rotor assembly.