Status and Way Forward on Rotorcraft Lightning Protection

This paper provides an overview of the state of art on the lightning regulation and the means of compliance for lightning certification, based on both the simulation technics and the testing methods. Usual lightning protection solutions at helicopter level to fulfill lightning requirements are discussed, as well as advanced approaches used by Airbus Helicopters to minimize the weight penalty of the lightning protection, especially by a large use of the simulation for the optimization of both the indirect effects (LIE) and the lightning direct effects (LDE). Some perspectives are highlighted concerning the development of new lightning protection devices to withstand the higher induced currents coupled on equipment items installed in full composite airframe helicopters (H/C), and how the lightning may be avoided on future platforms like the emergent flying urban taxis.