VTOL AND VSTOL HANDLING QUALITIES SPECIFICATIONS AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT STATUS

The highlights of a comparative analysis between the current helicopter and VSTOL handling qualities specifications and four representative state of the art rotary wing aircraft are presented. Longitudinal, lateral, and directional control power and dynamic stability characteristics were analyzed for hovering conditions. Forward flight static and dynamic stability were analyzed for the longitudinal and lateral-directional axes. Results of the analyses in terms of the applicability/utility of the MIL-H-8501A criteria are presented for each of the above areas. The review of the MIL-H-8501A criteria against those in MIL-F-83300 and AGARD 577 indicated many areas in which MIL-H-8501A does not give adequate design guidance.