Flight Critical Components: Response to Impact Load

Advances in technology have made rotorcraft more comfortable, more capable, and more complex. With these advances, operators rely more on automated systems to reduce flight crew workload and to elevate safety. Correspondingly, flight-critical systems must remain operational at all times. Mechanical vibration or impact shocks such as bird strikes must not lead to a system failure. The approach for making the Bell 525 as safe as possible uses the guidelines of ARP4754A. The 525 is a commercial entry in the new super medium class of helicopters, and is the only commercial helicopter with fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control technology with state-of-the-art avionics. Safety requirements and certification regulations mandate the ability for continued safe flight following a bird strike incident. Improvements in computer simulation capabilities enable relating mechanical shock qualification tests with in-flight impact threats.