Crashworthy Design of Rotorcraft: A Basic Research Approach

Crashworthy design of a rotorcraft constitutes a very important branch of the general field of rotorcraft design. A successful crashworthy design leads to many potential benefits. However, many different disciplines are involved and a number of constraints must be met when the subject of rotorcraft crashworthy design is analyzed. Some of the significant constraints involve the considerations of weight, cost, and performance. Potential weight savings that can be realized using composite materials when offset by additional material required for energy absorption or to maintain structural integrity offers the promise of extending the survivable crash envelope for future rotorcraft. A very brief discussion of the field, some potential problems in different disciplines concerning the crashworthy design of composite rotorcraft, and some suggestions, including basic research approaches, are presented in this paper.