Technical Evaluation Report On The Flight Mechanics Panel Symposium On Flight Test Techniques

This report evaluates the AGARD Flight Mechanics Panel Symposium on Stability and Control held from 25-28 September 1978 at Ottawa, Canada. The primary conclusions of the report are that the technology exists to permit application of CCV and active control concepts to operational aircraft; however, questions remain concerning the operational need and the cost effectiveness of many of the concepts that are technically feasible. The main factors impeding implementation of CCV and active control concepts are cost, reliability and maintainability.

The expanding roles of the helicopter and the intensified threat perceived by its potential users have led to proposals for future rotorcraft with characteristics significantly different to existing types. The resulting rapid evolution of rotorcraft configurations, in response to user demands, now requires a translation into design criteria to permit aerospace R & D community to provide appropriate and cost effective responses to these demands. The objective of this symposium was to explore the impact of operational needs on the evolution of rotorcraft design. The result will be to provide a review of the present status of rotorcraft design and to identify priorities and neglected topics. Three specific issues were central: 1) The translation of operational mission requirements into design criteria; 2) The evaluation of techniques to incorporate user defined needs into the design and methods of test and verification; and 3) The identification of design areas where unusual or new user needs are demanding special or radical features. Keywords: Rotary wing aircraft. (kr).