Keeping Crewmembers in the Loop: Implementation of User Interviews &Amp; Surveys During Aircraft Conceptual Design

With today’s high-technology, complex military systems, it has never been more important to speak up for what the user truly needs. The human factors engineer often plays that role. This paper describes the results of applying two user-centered design tools - user interviews and a user survey - to the preliminary design phase of the Heavy Lift Replacement helicopter for the United States Marine Corps. Interacting directly with active Marine aircrews revealed many important design issues. These data have been and will continue to be flowed into program requirements. The challenges inherent in communicating this data to other engineering disciplines and the importance of actively listening to users are also discussed.