A Historical Survey of Operational Effectiveness in Relation to Preliminary Design

A survey of rotorcraft design studies is presented with particular focus placed on operationally significant aircraft characteristics as they are expressed as design requirements. The requirements, assumptions, and results of the design studies are tracked against both the year of the analysis and the estimated projected technology year of the aircraft concept. The historical trends, if any, of operational requirements and their projected design impact are examined in light of possible future requirements and constraints.