AFFORDABLE ROTORCRAFT ACQUISITION, TESTING & TRAINING

Life cycle cost for the next generation rotorcraft design, acquisition, testing, training, and support, using current techniques, promises to escalate in a predicted hostile fiscal environment. Aircraft testing, and the associated training and support, place large demands on flight vehicles, avionics, and weapons systems, as well as, large demands on test teams and scarce fiscal resources. Simulation may play a role in reducing the cost and time required to develop the next generation aircraft and related systems. The current generation of operational flight trainers or engineering simulators are usually vehicle specific, with no capability to support design requirements and life cycle cost analysis, and current operational flight trainers are also very expensive. Rotorcraft simulators are very limited in their ability to support flight testing, especially for at-sea scenarios. These multi-million dollar trainers can not be used for basic aircraft component load predictions, or for developing rotorcraft/ship deck landing operational envelopes. An affordable unified approach to design, acquisition, testing and training is essential to minimize the overall next generation aircraft acquisition cost, and to help define the resulting operations and support cost. Integrating an enhanced generic structure, physic-based simulation model with flight test automation software presents an option to make test and evaluation, and related training, more affordable. Integrating an enhanced generic structure, physic-based simulation model with flight test automation software and with a robust design simulation presents an option for more affordable rotorcraft acquisition, testing and training.