Experimental and Numerical Bird Strike Comparison of Main Rotor Pitch Links

The bird strike performance of rotorcraft components must be demonstrated to the airworthiness authority in accordance with the certification requirements of CS 29.631. This necessitates continuous efforts to design and validate birdstrike-resistant structures through a combination of experiments and simulations. In this study, an integrated experimental and numerical investigation is conducted to evaluate the structural response and failure characteristics of the main rotor pitch link subjected to bird impact. In the experimental program, high-speed imaging and strain measurements were used to capture the transient deformation and impact force history. In parallel, a highly nonlinear finite element model was developed using the LS-DYNA solver. The numerical model was validated against experimental results. Results demonstrate that localized plastic deformation and stress concentrations occur near the impact region, consistent with damage patterns observed in real-world incidents. This research provides a validated methodology supporting CS 29.631 bird strike certification for rotorcraft flight-control components.