Helicopter Mission Performance Analysis with an Interactive Database Method

The Flight Vehicle Performance Branch in the Aeromechanics Division, within the Air Vehicle Engineering Department at the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland plays a vital role in the acquisition of naval aircraft. The Flight Vehicle Performance Branch is the official source for the production and distribution of fixed and rotary wing aircraft performance data. One of its critical responsibilities is the development of engineering models to support performance analyses in response to fleet requests. Additionally, the Flight Vehicle Performance Branch engineer provides performance analyses starting with acquisition and continuing throughout the aircraft’s life in the fleet. Standard products for the fleet include Naval Aviation Training Operation Procedures Standard, NATOPS performance charts, tactical energy maneuverability charts as well as mission time, distance, and fuel performance analyses for use by naval aviators. As part of this effort, an improved method for helicopter mission performance analysis incorporating an interactive database development capability has been formulated. This method, entitled Helicopter Mission Analysis Program 4 (HMAP4), is presented in the following paper. This paper will discuss how HMAP4 provides significant improvements in capability, computational efficiency, and quality. The unique features of the methodology resolve issues associated with older traditional processes.