Bird Strike Simulation for Helicopter Rotor Blades

Bell Helicopter Textron is continuing to develop a bird strike simulation methodology to predict the structural responses and failure modes for both rotating and non-rotating aircraft structures using LS-DYNA®. A series of tests conducted at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in 2011 were used to measure bird impact loads on a Bell 429 tail rotor system. The methodology under development is used to predict the dynamic response and high speed (∼550 knots) impact characteristics of the rotating tail rotor structure. The simulation is validated by comparison against measurements for pre-impact steady load, dynamic impact load, and observed structural deformation, and failure modes.