Dynamic Interface Simulation of Rotorcraft Shipboard On-Deck Operation

A dynamic interface simulation and analysis of rotorcraft shipboard on-deck operation is developed in FLIGHTLAB, a comprehensive rotorcraft analysis and simulation program. The objective of the simulation and analysis is to simulate the rotorcraft on-deck dynamic interface for defining safe on-deck operation conditions. A study of the helicopter on-deck handling is performed. The helicopter is modeled using a FLIGHTLAB blade element model. The landing gear is modeled using a nonlinear spring and damper model. The motion of the ship is described using the prescribed time-domain ship motion data. CFD data are used to simulate the ship airwake. The study shows that the ship heading relative to the wave direction, the ship speed, the rotor speed, and the sea condition have significant influences on the rotorcraft on-deck handling.