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Helicopters / rotorcraft

A Comparison of Main Rotor Smoothing Adjustments Using Linear and Neural Network Algorithms

This is the full text of a Master's theses by Captain Nathan A. Miller, USAF, AFIT/GAE/ENY/06-M24, which was presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Air University's Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), in March 2006. Helicopter main rotor smoothing is a maintenance procedure that is routinely performed to minimize airframe vibrations induced by non-uniform mass and/or aerodynamic distributions in the main rotor system. This important task is both time consuming and expensive, so improvements to the process have long been sought. Traditionally, vibrations have been minimized by calculating adjustments based on an assumed linear relationship between adjustments and vibration response. In recent years, artificial neural networks have been trained to recognize non-linear mappings between adjustments and vibration response. This research was conducted in order observe the character of the adjustment mapping of the Vibration Management Enhancement Program's PC-Ground Base System (PC-GBS). Flight data from the UH-60, AH-64A, and AH-64D were utilized during the course of this study. What has been determined is that the neural networks of PC-GBS produce adjustments that can be reproduced by a linear algorithm, thus implying that the shape of the mapping is in fact linear. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format on the Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET) which is provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

A Feasibility Study of Collaborative Multi-facility Windtunnel Testing for CFD Validation

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTP) technical report, RTO-TR-027, dated December 1999. The report was sponsored by the RTO's Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT), Working Group 011. It presents the findings of a working group, which identified the need for CFD validation for fighter aircraft, transport type aircraft, missiles and helicopters. The report suggests savings in cost and effort are achievable through collaboration. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (7.04 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

A Redesigned Tail Rotor for Improvement of CH-53E High-Altitude Performance

This is the full text of a Master's thesis by Major James A. Pritchard, USMC, AFIT/GAE/ENY/05-M27, which was presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Air University's Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), in March 2005. The Global War on Terror with specific emphasis on the recent military operation in Afghanistan has shown the invaluable contribution that heavy lift helicopters bring to the combatant commander. However, the flight range, altitudes and lift capability required to operate effectively in such an austere environment are pushing the limits of these helicopters. In an attempt to increase the operational capability of the CH-53E, this study will investigate methods for maximizing tail rotor effectiveness at high gross weights and high altitudes. This thesis records an analytical study designed to investigate the intricacies of tail rotor design and, by the computational simulation afforded through the Rotorcraft Comprehensive Analysis System (RCAS), define a tail rotor at high altitude that will reduce the tail rotor power required in hover by 10%. The versatility required of the tail rotor is seen due to the nature of the flow regime, which requires the tail rotor to effectively operate with inflow velocity from any direction, with a spanwise distribution of flow that produces Reynolds numbers up to 5.6e7 and with pilot commanded pitch changes from -10 to 24 degrees. With little to no assistance from the vertical fin, the tail rotor is most heavily relied on for antitorque response in hover; therefore, focus will be placed on hovering efficiencies tempered by solid forward flight and hover slide performance. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format on the Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET) which is provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

A Study of Helicopter Crash Resistant Fuel Systems : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-01/76, by S. H. Robertson et al, dated February 2002. The report presents the results of an FAA funded study of helicopter crash-resistant fuel systems (CRFS). It reviews historical developments and more recent changes to civil certification standards. It examines issues relating to the lack of field investigation data from helicopter crashes and the value of full-scale crash testing. There is also a section on the individual components of a CRFS, with guidance on the application of each item to the overall system design. It also highlights CRFS design problems and analytical tools for use in product improvements. The full text of the report is available in PDF format.

Acceptable Means of Compliance Helicopter Health Monitoring CAA AAD 001-05-99

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) document, Civil Aviation Paper CAP 693, May 1999. AAD 001-05-99 makes the installation and use of health monitoring systems (HMS) mandatory for United Kingdom registered helicopters issued with a Certificate of Airworthiness in the Transport Category (Passenger), which have a maximum approved seating configuration of more than 9 passengers. CAP 693 provides operators with the basis for an acceptable means of compliance with the directive.

AEgis Simulation Inc. - ACSL (Advanced Continuous Simulation Language) Software

ACSL (Advanced Continuous Simulation Language) products are owned by AEgis Software. Aerospace and defence applications of ACSL software products include: simulation of fixed and rotary wing flight dynamics; missile simulation, marine propulsion system simulation; and simulation of spacecraft dynamics. The site provides access to a range of information resources including: a product overview, a description of industry applications, and details of ACSL training programmes. The publications section provides access to a collection of papers in the ACSL electronic library. These cover many topic areas such as: aeronautics, aircraft design, aerodynamics, unmanned aircraft, engines, flight simulations, and vehicle dynamics. The full-text papers seem to be available in a variety of formats including HTML and PDF.

Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics of Rotorcraft

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings report, AGARD-CP-552, dated August 1995. The papers prepared for the AGARD Fluid Dynamics Panel (FDP) Symposium on 'Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics of Rotorcraft', which was held 10-13 October 1994 in Berlin, Germany are contained in this Report. In addition, a Technical Evaluator's Report aimed at assessing the success of the Symposium in meeting its objectives, and an edited transcript of the General Discussion held at the end of the Symposium are also included. The Symposium brought together scientists in different fields of aerodynamics and aeroacoustics to review and discuss their recent results in the area of rotary-wing aircraft in order to foster future development. The program included 35 papers from North American, Western Europe, and Russian organized in the following technical sessions: Dynamics Stall, Wind Turbines, Aerodynamic 3D Prediction Methods, Experimental Investigations of Helicopter Rotors, Acoustic Predictions Methods, and Interference Problems. For individual titles, see N96-13583 through N96-13617. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (160 Kb) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Aging Engines, Avionics, Subsystems and Helicopters

This web site provides access to an Educational Note produced by the Reseach and Technology Organization (RTO), RTO-EN-014, dated October 2000. The document was produced by the RTO's Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) and the Consultant and Exchange Programme of RTO in support of a Lecture Series presented on 23-24 October 2000 in Atlantic City, USA and 26-27 October 2000 in Madrid, Spain. The lecture series covered a range of topics including: an operator's perspective; modernisation programmes; aging electrical systems and wiring; aging avionics; helicopter related issues; other subsystems; and safety and service difficulty reporting. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (19.5 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

AHS International : The Vertical Flight Society

AHS International (formerly the American Helicopter Society) describes itself as, "the professional society for the advancement of vertical flight technology and its useful application throughout the world". The web site provides access to a variety of information resources. There is a listing of the officers and members of the Board of Directors, Technical Council, Technical Committees, Chapters and other commitees. A membership section describes member programmes, services and benefits. Other sections of the site provide information relating to AHS publications (including Vertiflite and the Journal of the American Helicopter Society); AHS Calendar of Events, and the AHS Annual Forum. The site contains an online searchable bibliographic database of AHS articles and other documents. There is also an on-line AHS Membership Directory, which is available to members only.

AHS Online Documents Catalog

The web site provides access to a searchable database of articles and other documents, published by AHS International (formerly the American Helicopter Society). The database contains bibliographic details and abstracts of documents derived from the following: AHS Journal, Vertiflite; AHS Annual Forum Proceedings; Specialist conference proceedings; AHS book and report collection.

Air Team Images

This is an online aviation image library. The emphasis is on delivering the very best images from the world’s finest photographers. All images on the site are available for online purchase as prints, posters or gifts for worldwide delivery or instant file download direct from the server. You can browse or use the comprehensive search engine where you can search by keywords, manufacturer, industry sector, location, theme (eg aircraft type, aircraft show or airport life etc.

Aircraft Icing Handbook

This Good Aviation Practice (GAP) handbook was published by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand in 2000. It is intended to help educate all personnel associated with flight operations in icing conditions. The contents include the following chapters, Airframe Icing, Induction System Icing, Helicopter Icing, Pre-Flight Preparation, The New Zealand Environment, In-Flight Management, Pilot Training Syllabi, Operations Manual Content / Operator Certification. The text of the document is available in PDF format.

Aircraft Materials Ltd (IRVIN-GQ)

This company specialises in the design and manufacture of aerial delivery and safety / survival equipment. The site contains product information and images as well as certificates of approval from various aerospace authorities. There are links to sister companies and the contact information page includes a location map.

Aircraft Type Designators (ICAO)

ICAO has developed an electronic database of the information contained in the Aircraft Type Designators (Doc 8643) for those aircraft types that are most commonly provided with air traffic services (ATS).

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Vertical and/or Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) Aircraft Systems Technical Committee

This AIAA technical committee web site provides access to a range of information resources including: a brief summary of the scope of the Committee's interests, a number of "highlights" articles, and a list of helicopter and V/STOL links. The site also provides access to a document produced by the Committee which identifies V/STOL research needs. The areas identified include amongst others: jet induced effects, integrated flight/propulsion control, hot gas ingestion, acoustics, performance and analysis tools, airframe materials and UAV issues. The first fifty years of V/STOL development is described in a paper by Michael Hirschberg of ANSER. Other resources include a section on unrealised V/STOL aircraft and concepts, and a V/STOL history wheel.

An Analysis of Nonlinear Elastic Deformations for a Homogeneous Beam at Varying Tip Loads and Pitch Angles

This is the full text of a Master's thesis by Ensign Robert J. McGraw, USN, AFIT/GAE/ENY/06-J09, which was presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Air University's Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), in June 2006. The Princeton beam experiments of 1975 were performed in hopes of producing viable data for beam nonlinear elastic deformation models in hopes of improving helicopter main beam designs. The recorded data, specifically for homogeneous beams of 7075 aluminum, have been referenced as a baseline for the past thirty years to validate numerous computer models and theories in an effort to build beams capable of withstanding aeroelastic, static, and dynamic loading. The purpose of this study is to improve upon the data recorded in 1975 using newer technologies including a laser distance meter, digital inclinometer, and three-dimensional traverse to test X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis and angular displacements for varying tip loads and pitch angles. Initial beam deformations due to machining stresses were included in the testing, and the beam was analyzed at tip loads between zero and four pounds for positive and negative pitch angles in fifteen-degree increments from zero to ninety degrees. The results were analyzed in numerous comparisons between the different tip loads and pitch angles, and the overall results were compared with Princeton beam data to ensure their validity. The experimental results showed an improvement in terms of precision as well as a relatively close correlation with Princeton beam data. There were some displacement discrepancies, but such differences can be examined in the future. The results can be used for beam vibrational mode and frequency testing as the beam's geometry can be reproduced graphically and computer model verifications, allowing for more precise computer models for homogeneous nonlinear beam displacements. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format on the Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET) which is provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Analyses of Fatigue Crack Growth Databases for Use in a Damage Tolerance Approach for Aircraft Propellers and Rotorcraft

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-07/49) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aviation Research and Development in November 2007 and was written by James C. Newman, Jr. A large portion of the fatigue crack growth threshold data in this report is inappropriate due to the load reduction test procedure that was used to generate these data. The author, in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) personnel, is developing new test procedures to generate threshold data under steady-state constant-amplitude loading conditions without any load history effects. The new test method involves using compression precracking to generate a crack at a V-notch and then to test the specimen under constant-amplitude loading. A large test program on the development of these fatigue crack growth databases, for use in damage-tolerant analyses for aircraft propellers and rotorcraft components, was conducted at NASA LaRC under a Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Some materials tested and analyzed herein were 7050-T7451 and 7075-T7351 aluminum alloys and D6AC and 4340 steels. Only the steels were tested as part of the FAA program. The 7075 alloy was tested at the NASA Johnson Space Center, and the 7050 and 7075 alloys were tested at NASA LaRC. This test program was conducted to generate more accurate representations of fatigue crack growth rate behavior in the near-threshold regime and approaching fracture under a wide range of constant stress ratio (R = Pmin/Pmax) conditions. The objective of the proposed research grant was to analyze the test data on selected propeller and rotorcraft materials to develop the effective stress-intensity factor range against crack growth rate relationship for use in damage tolerance analyses. The resulting relationships can then be used in the strip-yield model in NASGRO (Stripy), AFGROW, or used to generate the stress-intensity factor range against crack growth rate curves for use in NASGRO, AFGROW, or any other life-prediction code requiring linear elastic fracture mechanics procedures. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Application of Damage Tolerance Principles for Improved Airworthiness of Rotorcraft

This web site provides access to a NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) report titled: Application of Damage Tolerance Principles for Improved Airworthiness of Rotorcraft, RTO-Mp-024, February 2000. The report contains papers presented at the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) Specialists Meeting, held in Corfu, Greece, 21-22 April 1999. The metting addressed issues associated with aging systems, and in particular with the application of damage tolerance principles for improved airworthiness of rotorcraft. The papers were grouped into three sessions covering the following: materials data and crack growth models for damage tolerance approaches to helicopter structures; design application of DT principles; and operator experience and certification issues. The citation and abstract information is in HTML format, and the full text is available online in PDF format (23 Mbytes).

Army Aircraft Icing

This is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Technical Report, ERDC-CRREL TR-02-13, prepared by Lindamae Peck, Charles C. Ryerson and C. James Martel, dated September 2002. This report assesses the effects of icing, both before and during flight, on the ability of Army aviators to accomplish their mission. Interviews with aviation commands, surveys to aviation commands worldwide, and assessment of Army aviation safety records demonstrate the affect of icing and snow on Army aviation. The text of the report is available in PDF format from the CRREL Virtual Library.

Army Technology Image Gallery

Image gallery of equipment, systems and components of the defence industry including; ammunition and fuzes; armoured fighting vehicles and upgrades; artillery and mortars; bridging and breaching equipment; civil defence, security and law enforcement products and services; explosives; small arms; NBC equipment; surveillance systems; and turrets. There is also a section titled projects which features air defence missile systems, anti-armour missiles, armoured fighting vehicles, artillery systems, attack helicopters, main battle tanks, support helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Once pictures have been selected, clicking on them takes you to a profile of the equipment and details of the manufacturer.

Assessment Methods for Personal Active Noise Reduction Validated in an International Round Robin

This is a Research and Technology Organisation Technical Report, RTO-TR-HFM-094, prepared by the the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM), dated August 2004. Methods used for the assessment of helmets and headsets equipped with Active Noise Reduction (ANR) are different from the (standardized) methods used for passive systems. ANR systems may introduce electronic noise and possess non-linear behaviour at high noise levels. Therefore standard methods like comparison of subjective performance at threshold may not be valid. Alternative methods have been developed and compared in various laboratories. The performance of a number of test methods was assessed in an international Round Robin. The passive and active sound attenuation of five headsets, all equipped with active noise reduction and an intercom, were determined. Several measuring methods were adopted including methods that are based on a human head, artificial head and artificial ear. This study presents a comparison of the validity of these methods. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format and the full text of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Assessment of Helicopter Structural Usage Monitoring System Requirements

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AR-04/3 by Kelly McCool and Gene Barndt dated April 2004. The objective of this study was to perform a data-driven assessment of various aspects of the helicopter structural usage monitoring process and to identify key issues and requirements that must be addressed prior to using the monitoring information for part life extensions or maintenance credits. Structural usage monitoring is defined in this report to be the identification of the aircraft usage spectrum flight regimes for any given instant in the aircraft or component life. With this aircraft maneuver, or regime information, the fatigue damage accumulation on helicopter components can be tracked. The ultimate goal of a structural monitoring system is to produce more insight into exactly how an aircraft is being used once it is fielded. This information can be compared to design assumptions and then part life extensions (or reductions) can potentially be granted. During this study, several structural monitoring system design issues are addressed, including the types of aircraft parameters to be monitored, the data rates at which those parameters should be monitored, as well as a recommended algorithm development and validation approach. The results of this report set the recommended basic design criteria for developing a reliable regime recognition software module for commercial as well as military rotorcraft. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Assessment of Navy Heavy-Lift Aircraft Options

This technical report (DB-472-NAVY) was published by The RAND Corporation in 2005 and was witten by John Gordon, Peter A. Wilson, Jon Grossman, Dan Deamon, Mark Edwards, Darryl Lenhardt, Dan Norton and William Sollfrey. Helicopters have gradually become able to carry more and heavier cargo, including vehicles. An aircraft that could carry even more than today’s helicopters might be especially valuable when access to on-shore facilities is limited and working from shipboard becomes critical. But there are questions: Are they survivable, actually needed, and affordable. Can today’s ships handle them? And can all the services interested in such an aircraft agree on its design and funding? [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Assessment, Development, and Validation of Computational Fracture Mechanics Methodologies and Tools for Shot-Peened Materials Used in Rotorcraft Principal Structural Elements

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA AR-03/76 by S. Shen, Z. D. Han, C. A. Herrera, and S. N. Atluri dated July 2004. This report describes an analytical model that simulates the shot-peening process and estimates the residual stress field in the surface layer. A numerical approach for the prediction of crack growth rates for cracks in compressive stress fields was implemented in AGILE 3D. AGILE 3D is an accurate and efficient tool for predicting nonplanar three-dimensional (3D) fatigue crack growth in structural components. The results of validation of AGILE 3D for predicting 3D fatigue growth, compared to the University of Washington test data, were very good. The effect of shot peening on crack growth rates of various materials is investigated numerically by means of AGILE 3D. Various fatigue crack growth models, including plastic strip model and plastic zone model in the presence of residual stresses and plasticity, are discussed. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J Hughes Technical Center Library.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) : Aviation Safety

The ATSB is Australia's prime agency for the independent investigation of civil aviation accidents, incidents and safety deficiencies. In addition to investigating accidents and incidents, the ATSB investigates safety deficiencies based on occurrence trends that could lead to a future accident. The ATSB also participates as an accredited representative on investigations of accidents and serious incidents involving Australian-registered aircraft overseas. The ATSB's Aviation Safety web site provides access to a range of information resources including sections on statistics, investigation procedures, aviation safety investigation reports, accident and incident notification and reporting, legislation and regulations, weekly summaries of accidents and incidents; a large collection of ATSB publications, and information on the Aviation Safety Research Grants Programme.

Autogyros

This is a personal web site, which nevertheless includes a useful essay that describes autogyros and how they work, gives a brief history of their development, explains their differences with other aircraft, and explains why they were never accepted. It then explains some modern autogyro concepts. The paper is available in two versions, with and without jpeg graphics. The author notes that the paper was written in 1996, and therefore some of the references to the present and future may be outdated. The site also contains a set of links to other web sites related to autogyros and rotorcraft.

Aviation Safety Review 1990 - 1999

The site provides access to a Civil Aviation Authority Paper, CAP 701, prepared by the CAA Safety Regulation Group, October 2000. The paper presents a review of UK aviation safety over the last 10 years. The document is divided into a number of sections covering aeroplanes and helicopters, public transport and non-public transport operations, police, ambulance and rescue services, foreign aircraft in UK airspace, and gliders, microlights, gyroplanes, balloons and airships. The first section provides an international context, and examines accident and fatality trends worldwide. The text of the document is available in PDF format.

Aviation Week : Aerospace Source Book

This provides brief company profiles of aviation and aerospace companies grouped under the following headings: Prime Contractors; Major Airlines; Regional Airlines; and Cargo Airlines. The profiles can be viewed online in PDF format. The Aerospace Sourcebook also provides access to a series of articles which examine various market sectors including fighters, bombers, commercial and military transports, air freight, UAVs, trainers, rotorcraft, spacecraft, missiles, and avionics. The information is drawn from Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

This is the web site of Bell Helicopter Textron, a company which designs and manufactures rotorcraft. The site provides company information including employment opportunities, press releases and news, and company history. Some information about their products is available, including product brochures for many of the models. These include craft in the following categories - commercial, military, tiltrotors, specialty and pre-owned. Product information for the commercial helicopters is particularly detailed and includes product data books and technical specifications books.

Boeing : Military Aircraft and Missile Systems

This site is divided into four sections; military aircraft, missile systems and tactical weapons, rotorcraft, and military aerospace support. Under each section products are listed which can then be accessed for background information, milestones, news releases, and multimedia (online videos and images). The site also provides general news releases and links to the Boeing home page.

Boeing

The Boeing Company is the largest aerospace company in the world. It manufactures commercial aeroplanes and military aircraft. This large site contains the full text of all press releases and statements since 1997, and from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas since before the merger in 1997. A lot of detailed financial information is available, including financial reports and the Investor Relations Newsletter. Product, news and market information are also available for commercial and military aeroplanes, business jets, rotorcraft, space systems, and electronics and information systems.

British Civil Airworthiness Requirements : Section VLH - Very Light Helicopters

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 750, prepared by the Safety Regulation Group, Issue 1, November 2004. British Civil Airworthiness Requirements (BCAR) comprise minimum requirements and constitute the basis for the CAA to issue Certificates of Airworthiness or Type Certificates, as required. This is a simplified airworthiness design code for amateur constructed helicopters of less than 750 kg MAUW. It has been based on BCAR Section T, which is applicable to light gyroplanes, suitably amended to cover helicopters, and is intended to reflect a similar level of airworthiness. Helicopters qualified to this code will only be eligible for the award of a Permit to Fly. The text is available in PDF format (500 kb) from the CAA's publications web.

CAA Paper 2004/1 : Enhancing Offshore Helideck Lighting - NAM K14 Trials

This publication reports on a series of three dedicated flight trials of new offshore helideck lighting schemes performed at the NAM K14 platform in the Dutch sector of the North Sea between November 1998 and October 1999. The trial results confirm the problems that exist with lighting schemes meeting the current standards, and clearly indicate how significant improvements to offshore helideck lighting can be made. Version 1, 30th January 2004. The document is available in PDF format.

CAA Paper 2004/2 : Helideck Design Considerations - Environmental Effects

The report contains guidance on good offshore helideck design practice in terms of environmental issues. This material was generated in support of the Offshore Helideck Design Guidelines document published by the Health & Safety Commission on behalf of the Offshore Industry Advisory Committee Helicopter Liaison Group, and forms a section within that document. Version 1 was published on 30th January 2004. It is available in PDF format.

CAP 753: Helicopter Vibration Health Monitoring

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 753, This CAP provides additional guidance for Operators utilising VHM in rotor and rotor drive systems of helicopters. This covers both VHM system design and operation.The fulltext is available in PDF format from the CAA's publications web site.

CAP 767 : Light Aircraft Maintenance Programme - Helicopters

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publication CAP 767. The CAA are introducing CAP 767 in order to account for the implementation of Commission Regulation 2042/2003 Annex 1, Part M, M.A.302. The programme addresses the scheduled maintenance requirements for single piston engine helicopters with less than 2730 kg MTOM, regulated by EASA under Regulation (EC) 1592/2002. Amendment 1/2008 was published in January 2008 to clarify details within the document. Status: Current [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Chelbi

This is a joint Kyrgyz-Russian Enterprise company for the procurement, sale and buying of helicopters, KAMAZ trucks, spare parts and other techniques. For each model of helicopter technical data is provided and suitable applications are described.

Chinese Military Aviation

This site focuses on weapon systems in use or being developed for the Chinese Armed Forces. It provides pictures and information about fighter aircraft, helicopters, war ships and submarines and provides links to related Chinese Military websites.

Civil Aviation Authority : Safety Regulation Group : Research Programme 2003/2004

This document contains details of projects that are managed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Safety Regulation Groupo (SRG). The projects are presented under sub-headings which, largely, correspond with technology areas within SRG. An appendix contains projects with which SRG are either associated or interested in but which are being carried out by other organisations. The document also lists the reports and papers produced during the period April 2002 to March 2003 as a result of SRG funded or managed work. The text of the document is available in PDF (2.8 Mb)format.

Collaboration for Land, Air, Sea, and Space Vehicles : Developing the Common Ground in Vehicle Dynamics, System Identification, Control, and Handling Qualities

This site provides access to a Research and Technology Organisation (NATO) Technical Report, RTO-TR-061, Paris, November 2002. This report presents the results of a study conducted by the RTO Systems Concepts and Integration Panel (SCI) Task Group SCI-53, Vehicle Dynamics, System Identification, Control and Handling Qualities. This report addresses the second goal of the SCI-53 technical team, namely to build mechanisms to assist the co-ordination and integration of experts working in the different operational environments. It provides a preliminary review of the issues involved in vehicle dynamics, modeling and system identification, control, and handling qualities as these topics apply to modern military vehicles in all four environments. By focusing on the commonalties and differences between the four environments, this report will also serve to highlight areas of potential collaboration between experts from the various technical communities. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (9.06 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Composite Landing Gear Components made with Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM)

This technical report (NLR-TP-2004-122) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2004 and was written by H. G. S. J. Thuis, J. F. M. Wiggenraad and H. P. J. de Vries. Composite materials are used in aircraft structures because of weight and cost benefits. These components are mostly shell structures. For helicopters, weight savings are even more important than for fixed wing aircraft. Hence, components other than shell structures, which can be made of composite materials, are being considered. A project is described, focused on the development of the fabrication technology for selected composite landing gear components. The project is being carried out by a Dutch consortium: landing gear supplier SPa&vs, aerospace research centre NLR, software company MSC.Software and preform supplier Eurocarbon. The Composites Group of Twente University is involved with software developments. The components considered are a pair of torque links and a trailing arm, baselined on the NH-90 helicopter. The torque links were fabricated and tested successfully. A trailing arm has been fabricated with the over-braiding technique, and will be tested later in 2004. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Computer Based Decision Support Tool for Helicopter Mission Planning in Disaster Relief and Military Operations

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report RTO-TR-SAS-045, dated June 2008. The SAS-045 study group was formed to propose a framework for a generic and flexible decision support tool that can be used in effective management of helicopter missions both during humanitarian and military operations. This report provides an in-depth discussion of the research process executed by the team and the output of each of those modules. A problem analysis module provides the operational context, mission types, and the decision-making framework. A concept of solutions module presents the mathematical modeling description, the resolution method, and computational results on testing scenarios. Finally, the technical requirements module describes the information management system, database interfacing module, and the protocols and, as well, the information support tool dependencies are defined. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Continued Evaluation and Spectrum Development of a Health and Usage Monitoring System

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AR-04/6 by James Michael, Geoffrey Collingwood, Michael Augustine, and James Cronkhite dated May 2004. This report describes the results of a research project to evaluate structural usage monitoring and damage tolerance methodology using data collected on a Bell Model 412 helicopter that was equipped with a health and usage monitoring system (HUMS). helicopter was operated by Petroleum Helicopters Inc., from its base in Morgan City, Louisiana. The operational mission for this helicopter was referred to as the utility mission in Morgan City (UMMC). The usage spectrum data from the UMMC were compared to certification data and to data from previous HUMS studies. The previous HUMS studies included the Atlanta short haul mission (ASHM), which was considered severe usage because it involved many short maneuvering flights to provide pickup and delivery services at the Olympics, and the Gulf Coast mission (GCM), which was considered mild usage because it primarily involved long cruise flights. The usage spectrum for the UMMC was, in general, more severe than the GCM but less severe than the ASHM. The results of the different missions showed that usage monitoring could provide benefits in extending retirement times or inspection intervals compared to those set during certification, especially if high- and low-altitude effects are considered. In addition to usage monitoring evaluations, simplified mini-HUMS approaches were reviewed that could potentially provide low-cost HUMS with high paybacks. Also, guidelines were developed for HUMS certification and qualification and for the integration of HUMS into the operator’s maintenance program. These guidelines are also discussed in the report. Finally, the usage data that were collected were used to perform fatigue-life calculations and theoretical redesigns of four selected rotor system components known as principal structural elements to meet damage tolerance requirements. This theoretical damage tolerance investigation evaluated the weight impact and practicality of damage tolerance fatigue methodology versus a safe-life methodology. [Taken from abstract] The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Controlling Sideslip Angle to Reduce the Radar Exposure of a Tactical, Rotary Winged UAV

This is the full text of a Master's thesis by Major Jonathan D. Bulseco, USA, AFIT/GAE/ENY/05-M26, which was presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics of Air University's Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), in March 2005. This work investigates another way of contributing to the radar minimization solution for air vehicles in a threat environment. While much research has been conducted on structural solutions to radar exposure minimization, not much work has been done in the area of using control to continuously assess and present the smallest radar cross section of an air vehicle to oncoming threat radar systems by changing the aircraft's orientation. This work looks at the application of sideslip/beta angle feedback control of an unmanned helicopter to minimize radar cross section exposure in a hostile radar environment. A new way of controlling aircraft trajectory is introduced that incorporates both path and orientation optimization feedback; the aircraft's heading is controlled to orient the vehicle in a way that reduces its radar cross section, while sideslip angle is used to control the aircraft's path. A representative hostile environment is created and results show that a substantial reduction in radar cross section exposure can be achieved with beta feedback control. A linear state space model is derived for the OH-6A helicopter with the JANRAD software program. Eigenstructure assignment is used to shape the response of the helicopter into desired response modes. A Matlab based flight control system is developed around the derived helicopter model with altitude, heading, and beta angle command signals that drive four conventional helicopter control inputs. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format on the Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET) which is provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Crashworthiness Research at NLR (1990 - 2003)

This technical report (NLR-TP-2003-317) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2004 and was written by J.F.M. Wiggenraad. In the past decade, NLR has carried out research and development activities in several areas to improve the crashworthiness of future helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The crashworthiness of composite helicopters has been studied, and components for the NH90 helicopter have been developed. In several international collaborations, NLR has been involved in the development of crashworthy composite and metal aircraft structures. The potential for further improvements is expected to incite continuing collaborative research and development. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Current Aeromedical Issues in Rotary Wing Operations

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-019, Paris, August 1999. The documents contains papers presented at the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel Symposium, held in San Diego, USA, 19-21 October 1998. This symposium provided a review of the state-of-the-art concerning the various human factors implicated in helicopter operations, new methods and systems for increasing safety and efficiency of the helicopter operations, and new methods and systems for increasing safety and efficiency of the helicopter crew. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (36.8 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Defense Acquisitions : Assessments of Selected Major Weapon Programs

This provides access to a US Government Accountability Office Report (GAO-06-391) date March 2006. In the last 5 years, the Department of Defense (DOD) has doubled its planned investments in new weapon systems from about $700 billion in 2001 to nearly $1.4 trillion in 2006. While the weapons that DOD develops have no rival in superiority, weapon systems acquisition remains a long-standing high risk area. GAO's reviews over the past 30 years have found consistent problems with weapon acquisitions such as cost increases, schedule delays, and performance shortfalls. In addition, DOD faces several budgetary challenges that underscore the need to deliver its new weapon programs within estimated costs and to obtain the most from these investments. This reportprovides congressional and DOD decision makers with an independent, knowledge-based assessment of selected defense programs that identifies potential risks and needed actions when a program's projected attainment of knowledge diverges from the best practices. Programs for the assessments were selected based on several factors including, (1)high dollar value, (2) stage in acquisition, and (3)congressional interest. The majority of the 52 programs covered in this report are considered major defense acquisition programs by DOD. This report also highlights higher level issues raised by the cumulative experiences of individual programs. GAO updates this report annually under the Comptroller General's authority. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Development of a Composite Torque Link for Helicopter Landing Gear Applications

This technical report (NLR-TP-1999-026) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 1999 and was written by H.G.S.J. Thuis. In the framework of a composite landing gear technology programme, a composite torque link for helicopter landing gear applications was developed. The torque link was designed by finite element analysis and optimised for minimal weight. The torque link was fabricated by Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) for which a tooling concept was developed. Static tests demonstrated the load carrying capabilities in undamaged and damaged condition of the torque link since all specimens failed beyond their Design Ultimate Load level. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

DGPS Guidance for Helicopter Approaches to Offshore Platforms : Follow On Studies

The site provides access to UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA Paper 2003/2, prepared by by Cranfield Aerospace Ltd (CAe) and Lambourne Navigation Ltd (LNL), on behalf of the Safety Regulation Group of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, issued 9 June 2003. The paper describes three follow-on studies to the flight trials of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) guidance for helicopter approaches to offshore platforms reported in CAA Paper 2000/5. The three studies comprise: an analysis of the largest horizontal position errors observed, an investigation of the difficulties encountered with the Medium Frequency (MF) correction system used, and an investigation of the likely effects of single satellite unavailabilities. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (2.1 mb) from the CAA's web site

Effect of Airfoil Geometry on Performance with Simulated Ice Accretions, Volume 2: Numerical Investigation

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-03/65) was produced by the Aviation Research office of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in August 2003 and was written by Jianping Pan and Eric Loth. A computational study was completed in parallel with the experimental study to investigate the level of robustness of numerical methodologies for iced airfoil aerodynamic performance for a range of Reynolds and Mach numbers and to examine the effects of airfoil shape as well as ice shape location and height. The primary computational methodology employed herein was the WIND code. The grid sensitivity, turbulence model effect, and three-dimensional (3-D) capability aspects of WIND were assessed though detailed validations of selected clean and iced airfoil/wing cases. Of the various Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models considered, the Mentor Shear Stress Transport and especially the Spalart-Allmaras models gave the best overall performance, and the latter was chosen for all the performance simulations. The WIND methodology was able to consistently predict the subtle measured trends associated with Reynolds and Mach numbers as well as the dramatic measured trends noted for variation in ice shape height and location, especially for upper surface ice locations and thick airfoils. For a leading-edge iced airfoil, the size effect is still significant but not as large and, in general, the variations in lift, drag, and pitching moment tend to vary more linearly with ice shape size. However, a significant shortcoming of the numerical methodology was the inability to predict a maximum lift coefficient (though such a maximum was noted in the experiments) for airfoils with a large upper surface ice shape; this result was consistent with other codes that use RANS turbulence models. To improve the predictive performance for iced airfoil aerodynamics with respect to stall conditions, unsteady 3-D numerical methodologies, which capture the vertical dynamics (such as Detached Eddy Simulations or Large Eddy Simulations), should be considered. [Taken from abstract] This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Effect of Helicopter Rotors on GPS Reception

This provides access to a Uk Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Paper 2003/07 dated December 2003. This report describes the results of a series of experiments undertaken in October 2002 on behalf of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to investigate the effect of helicopter rotor blades upon the reception of GPS signals. The full text of the paper is available in PDF format from the CAA's web site.

Eng-Tips Forums : Aeronautic Engineers

This is a mailing list service or 'Web community' designed for engineers to make contact and discuss issues and problems. It is free of charge and the forums can be browsed and messages read without registration. However, if you wish to post a message you must register. The service has more functionality for registered members, including searching and the 'personal profile' facility which allows engineers to tell others something about themselves. The 'Aeronautic engineers' section includes forums devoted to aircraft engineering, aerodynamic engineering and rotorcraft engineering.

Enhancing Offshore Helideck Lighting - Onshore Trials at Longside Airfield

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Paper 2005/01 dated April 2005. Reports on the two dedicated flight trials performed at Longside Airfield near Aberdeen during 2002, aimed at refining the improved helideck lighting system described in CAA Paper 2004/01. The full text is available in PDF format from the CAA's web site.

Enhancing Offshore Helideck Lighting : Onshore Trials at Norwich Airport

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) paper 2006/03 dated November 2006. This paper reports on a series of flight trials performed using a test site located at Norwich Airport during 2003/4. The objective of the trials was to finalise the improved helideck lighting system developed during earlier trials (reported in CAA Papers 2004/01 and 2005/01), and generate the data necessary to produce a specification for the system. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the document is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS)

EADS is one of the largest aerospace companies in Europe and was formed from a merger between French Aerospatiale Matra S.A. (Paris), the Spanish Construcciones Aeronáuticas S.A. (CASA, Madrid) and the German DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa, Munich). EADS covers the areas of Airbus, aeronautics (military aircraft, helicopters, regional aircraft), military transport aircraft, defence and security systems and space. This site provides product information and specifications, a photo gallery, press releases, employment and financial information plus the latest stock quotes. The site is also available in German, French and Spanish.

Experimental and Theoretical Assessment of the Helicopter Ground Vortex Phenomenon

This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-305) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by J. F. Boer, C. Hermans and K. Pengel. During recent wind tunnel tests, performed in the European 4th Framework program HELIFLOW, the position and flow characteristics of the rotorwash-induced ground vortex were measured. These results were used for the verification and improvement of the NLR helicopter ground vortex calculation model, which is part of the rotorwash induced horizontal airflow calculation tool OUTWASH, currently under development for the Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands. The wind tunnel tests were performed in the Large Low-speed Facility of the German-Dutch Wind Tunnels. The use of state-of-the-art test techniques, such as Laser Light Sheet and Particle Image Velocimetry, and DLR's powered main rotor BO 105 wind tunnel model made it possible to measure the ground vortex induced velocities. The NLR ground vortex mathematical model is a tool for the prediction of the helicopter ground vortex position, shape and strength. It consists of an empirical radial wall-jet model and a set of airflow equilibrium equations. The vortex is represented by discrete filaments, while the induced velocities are calculated using Biot Savart law. The improved ground vortex model calculation results show a good match with the experimental ground vortex core positions and strengths data for all HELIFLOW test conditions. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Exploitation of Structural Loads / Health Data for Reduced Life Cycle Costs

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-007, Paris, November 1998. It contains the papers presented at a Specialists' Meeting on Exploitation of Structural Loads/Health Data for Reduced Life Cycle Costs, organised by the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) of RTO, in Brussels, Belgium, 11-12 May 1998. The papers highlight the potential benefits from the exploitation of the information derived from modern and future monitoring systems in terms of improved airworthiness and preventative maintenance. The meeting concentrated on the collection, analysis and use of loads/health data by the military for fleet maintenance and logistics planning. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (22 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

FAA Office of Accident Investigation : Preliminary Aviation Incident Reports

Preliminary Aviation Incident Reports produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Accident Investigation. The web site presents the data in tabular format. It provides access to 10 days of preliminary accident data and incident data organised into several categories, including: All Aircraft Accidents, Fatal and Serious Injuries, All General Aviation, All Helicopters, and by aircraft manufacturer. The 10 days of data is also available in dbf format (dBase and FoxPro) for downloading and use in databases or spreadsheets.

FAA T53-L-13L Turbine Fragment Containment Test

This final report by C. E. Frankenberger III is technical note DOT/FAA/AR-98/22, and is dated June 1998. The result of the FAA T53-L-13L engine turbine disk fragment containment test is presented in this report. The engine and containment ring were installed in an UH-1 Huey helicopter. The disk ruptured as the engine accelerated through 19,629 rpm. The result was a contained tri-hub burst with minor bulging of the containment ring and little sign of distress to the airframe. This test demonstrated the capability to contain a tri-hub burst on a medium sized turboshaft helicopter engine. This is a .pdf file [16 pages, 461Kb] so you will need Abobe Acrobat software in order to read it.

FAA-NASA Symposium on the Continued Airworthiness of Aircraft Structures : Vol. 2

Compiled by Catherine A. Bigelow, these proceedings (DOT/FAA/AR-97/2) were published in July 1997 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This collection of papers on airworthiness of aircraft structures discusses airframe life extension through quantitative rework inspections, analysis of a composite repair, analytical fatigue life estimation of full-scale fuselage panels, and application of acoustic emissions (AE) to health monitoring of helicopter mechanical systems. This is a PDF file so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Fatality and Injury Rates for Two Types of Rotorcraft Accidents

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/17) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in October 2005 and was written by D. Palmerton. An analysis of the frequency of four different types of rotorcraft accidents was conducted to determine if the number of fatalities and injuries between accident conditions was different. Accidents involving rollover, no rollover, fire, and no fire were studied to determine if accidents with a rollover or fire might be creating evacuation delays that contribute to the fatality and injury rates. A search of the FAA Accident Incident Data System from January1986 to March 1997 produced 2704 accident records for this analysis. A Chi-Square test for independence was used to determine the difference between the rollover and no rollover and fire and no fire accident categories. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Feasibility of Developing and Implementing a Fatigue Monitoring System for Rotocraft

This provides access to a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technical report DOT/FAA/AR-08/11 written by S. Krishnaswamy ...[et al] and dated February 2008. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a unified Health Usage Monitoring System and damage tolerance approach for the continued airworthiness of rotorcraft. An essential question of feasibility is whether components can be instrumented to monitor precrack fatigue damage. In this feasibility study, a simple specimen was instrumented with sensors for active (pitch-catch) ultrasonic measurements. The specimen was tested in a fatigue test machine. The data from the microsensor system was interpreted and used in a probabilistic fatigue damage procedure that was developed. This procedure provided statistical data on the appearance of a macrocrack that was compared with measurements. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI)

Founded in 1905, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), is the world's air sports federation. It has a number of functions including: the establishment of rules for the control and certification of world aeronautical and astronautical records; devising regulations for air sporting events; and the promotion of skill, proficiency and safety in aeronautics. The web site brings together a range of information sources including news, events, mailing lists and discussion forums. Within the framework of FAI, each air sport has an International Commission which is responsible for making the rules for competitions and which generally oversees the activies of their particular air sport. Each of the Commissions have their own sections of the web site, and these cover: ballooning (and airships); general aviation; gliding; hang gliding; aeromodeling; parachuting; aerobatics; astronautic records; human powered flight; microlight; paragliding; and rotorcraft. There are also a series of technical commissions including: aviation and space education; amateur built and experimental aircraft; air sports medicine (Comission Internationale Medico-Physiologique - CIMP); and the environment. There is a documents area which contains copies of key policy documents including the FAI's Anti-Doping Rules and Procedures, the Strategic Plan, and Code of Ethics. The site also provides access to the FAI's journal, Air Sports International.

Final Report on the Follow-on Activities to the HOMP Trial

The site provides access to UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA Paper 2004/12, prepared by the CAA's Safety Regulation Group (SRG), October 2004. The research reported in this paper was commissioned and funded by the Safety Regulation Group of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at Smiths Aerospace Electronic Systems - Southampton, and the trials were performed by Bristow Helicopters Ltd (BHL) and CHC Scotia Helicopters Ltd (Scotia). This work formed a follow-on exercise to the main Helicopter Operations Monitoring Programme (HOMP) trial reported in CAA Paper 2002/02, and investigated the transfer of HOMP from the BHL Super Puma to a second operator (Scotia Super Puma) and to a second helicopter type (BHL Sikorsky S76). The text of the document is available online in PDF format (2.5 mb) from the CAA's web site.

Final Report on the Helicopter Operations Monitoring (HOMP) Trial

The site provides access to UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA Paper 2002/02, prepared by B. D. Larder, for the CAA's Safety Regulation Group (SRG), issued 25 September 2002. This report presents the results of the Helicopter Operations Monitoring Programme (HOMP) trial. The objective of this trial was to demonstrate the use of Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) techniques in helicopter operations and to evaluate the benefits obtained. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (1.7 mb) from the CAA's web site.

Flight Testing of Night Vision Systems in Rotorcraft

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARDograph RTO-AG-SCI-089, dated July 2007. This AGARDograph presents a general summary of suggested Night Vision Goggle (NVG) testing methods and should be used as a framework for developing airborne and laboratory based experiments to evaluate equipment. The objective of this document is to provide an inventory of rules, standards, procedures, methods and means needed to test and evaluate night vision systems. In order to meet its objective, the scope of this AGARDograph is limited to the testing of night vision devices based on image intensification technology for use in rotorcraft. This AGARDograph includes sections covering the basic theory of the systems in use today, human vision and its relationship to the technology, general flight test methodology and an inventory of flight test techniques from NATO countries. This publication serves as Volume 25 of the RTO ARDograph 300 Flight Test Techniques Series. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Flightglobal.com

This is the website of Flight International, Airline Business, ACAS, Air Transport Intelligence (ATI) and The Flight Collection. It provides jobs, blogs, and primarily industry news. It is a large site and much of the content is to be found behind the browse links on the left of the page. These links are: aircraft, air transport, airlines, defence, safety, UAVs, helicopters, business and GA, maintenance, and spaceflight. The site contains the content of the current issues of Flight International and Airline Business as soon as it is published along with searchable archives going back to 1996 which are accessible to all. It also covers worldwide major air shows (Paris, Dubai, Asian Aerospace, and Farnborough) and produces daily newspapers during these events. There are three versions of the site - global, professional and expert.

Flow Simulation Using a Boundary Conforming Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Approach for the Operational Loads Survey Helicopter Rotor in Forward Flight

This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-461) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by O. J. Boelens, H. van der Ven, B. Oskam and A. A. Hassan. The main issue explored in the present paper is the ability of the boundary conforming discontinuous Galerkin finite element approach to simulate the flow around a helicopter rotor in forward flight. A CFD flow solver based on this approach was developed by researchers from the National Aerospace Laboratory NLR and the Boeing Company. Comparison of the results of the simulation of an Operational Loads Survey helicopter rotor in forward flight using this DG algorithm with the results obtained using more conventional algorithms and wind tunnel measurements shows that the present DG approach yields the same or better agreement between CFD and experimental data. In the discussion of these results special attention will be given to the rotor trimming procedure developed at NLR and to the grid adaptation procedure. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Fundamentals of Rotor and Power Train Maintenance : Techniques and Procedures

The full text of this US Army field manual is provided in electronic form by the General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library. It is available in both PDF and HTML formats and is given document number FM 1-514, dated 1991. The document acts as a general guide to army repairers on aircraft rotor and power train maintenance.

Georgia Institute of Technology : Mobile Robot Laboratory

The Georgia Tech Mobile Robot Laboratory is concerned with the science and technology of intelligent mobile robots. The site provides descriptions of current research projects including the Autonomous Scout Rotorcraft Testbed (ASRT) - an autonomous helicopter with the ability to track a moving person-sized object. There are also references to articles produced by staff, as well as some full-text online papers, and a gallery of images and video clips.

GEROS: A European Grid Generator for Rotorcraft Simulation Methods

This technical report (NLR-TP-1998-184) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 1998 and was written by M.H.L. Hounjet, C.B. Allen, L. Gasparini, L. Vigevano and A. Pagano. A grid generator system for the modelling of complex multi-bladed rotors is under development in Europe as a part of the development of a complete rotorcraft simulation method:TheBrite/EuRam EROS project. The grid generator [1] exploits a CHIMERA domain decomposition on structured grids. It addresses the industrial need for a rotor aerodynamic prediction tool [2] able to capture rotational phenomena, such as blade tip and wake vortices, and to predict correctly the unsteady blade pressures over a range of flight conditions, from hover to high-speed forward flight. This paper presents and discusses the capabilities of the GEROS grid generator together with relevant results. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

GlobalPlaneSearch.com

This site provides a service for those wishing to find all types of aircraft for sale, lease, or charter worldwide. It does this by by centralising and categorising all the world's aircraft advertisements published openly to the public. The site can be used in several ways - it can be browsed by aircraft manufacturer or by aircraft type, for example airliners, helicopters and cargo/freighter. In addition, it can be searched by manufacturer, model, location, year, GPS categories, or last modified/new, with results sorted by location, price or year.

Hazard Assessment for Usage Credits on Helicopters Using Health and Usage Monitoring System

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA AR-04/19 by Mike Augustin dated July 2004. A rotorcraft Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) has two important roles. First, by accounting for maneuvers and conditions that are more severe than those that the aircraft was designed for, premature fatigue and other types of failures that could be catastrophic can be avoided. Second, by obtaining credit for service that is less demanding than those for which the aircraft was certified, longer service times can be justified, which will allow more economical operations. However, while usage monitoring has prevented failures, to date, no applicants have successfully followed the guidance of the Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC) to develop individual aircraft usage credits. This report collects data and other information that was developed by Bell Helicopter Textron for its HUMS applications and provides it in a systematic manner to support more general and informed use of this important technology by its incorporation into the AC. A detailed overview of the HUMS methodology is provided in this report that describes how flight condition recognition is used to determine an individual aircraft load spectrum that, in turn, is used to calculate the effective hours that correspond to this usage. The report then focuses on sources of error in usage monitoring and how these can be overcome. These include inaccurate data, missing data, and incorrect algorithms. Next, system compliance with usage applications is discussed. Finally, a prototype usage system for implementing and using HUMS is outlined, which has been evaluated for compliance with the HUMS AC. This analysis verified that the prototype system and its architecture are compliant with the intent of the AC, including required parameter rates and accuracy levels. This report provides a valuable resource for usage monitoring that can both increase safety and enhance more economical operations, while also providing the basis for the eventual linkage of HUMS with the rotorcraft damage tolerance methodology. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Helicopter Association International

The Helicopter Association International (HAI) is a non-profit, professional trade association of over 1,400 member organisations from 70 nations. Since 1948, HAI has been dedicated to promoting the helicopter as a safe and efficient method of transportation, and to the advancement of the civil helicopter industry. The site provides a range of information about the HAI including mission, accomplishments, key current issues and committee structure. A range of information services and resources are also available. These include databases for aircraft sales and helicopter parts (the HAI Marketplace), helicopter technical specifications, and listings for conferences and jobs. US civil helicopter safety statistics are also available.

Helicopter External Load Operations

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 426, 3rd edition, July 1986. This document outlines the special precautions to be taken flying with slung loads requires special precautions to be taken if both air crew and third parties are to be protected from undue risk. The text is available in PDF format (536 kb) from the CAA's publications web site.

Helicopter Flight in Degraded Visual Conditions

This provides access to a Uk Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) paper 2007/03 dated September 2007. Final summary report on research conducted for the CAA by QinetiQ on helicopter flight in degraded visual conditions.The work comprised a review of accident data for the period 1975 to 2004, simulator trials using two test pilots and sixrepresentative accident scenarios, analysis of the simulator trials results including linking quantitative measures of visual scene content with pilot workload ratings, and a review of relevant civil regulations. The report also containsthe final report on earlier work on helicopter pilot view, previously published in CAA Paper 95014. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF (1.8mb) format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Helicopter Safety

Helicopter Safety was one of the seven separate FSF publications that were superseded by AeroSafety World in 2006. This site provides full text access to the newsletter which was bimonthly and was published by the Flight Safety Foundation, an international organisation concerned with promoting aviation safety concerns. The primary concern of the newsletter was to address specific issues of safety surrounding helicopter pilots and operational personnel. Each issue of the newsletter addresses a single topic. Articles from the later issues may be viewed in PDF format. Back issues are available from 1988 and onwards.

Helicopter Tail Rotor Failures

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Paper 2003/01 dated November 2003. Reports on a research study which examined the nature and extent of helicopter tail rotor failures, investigated the techniques and technologies that might be employed to reduce their occurrence and/or mitigate their consequences, reviewed the existing emergency procedures and handling advice, surveyed current pilot training practice and simulators, and reviewed the existing airworthiness requirements. The study included piloted simulation-based experimental work. CORRECTION: Appendix A page 22 contained an error which has now been corrected. The full text of this paper is available in PDF format from the CAA's web site.

Helicopter Turbulence Criteria for Operations to Offshore Platforms

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Paper 2004/03 dated September 2004. Reports on the development of a turbulence criterion for the regulation of helicopter operations to offshore helidecks. Once validated, the criterion will be added to the existing vertical airflow component and above ambient temperature criteria already contained in CAP 437. The full text of the paper is available in PDF format from the CAA's website.

Helicopter Visual Segment Evaluation : Phase 1 Performance Testing Report.

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA AR-03/68 by Ronald Lord, R Werner and Thomas Finley dated September 2003. This report presents the results of a study, funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), of helicopter performance capabilities. Tests were conducted simulating instrument approaches with five different helicopter models. A total of five different helicopter models were included in the test matrix (S-76A, Bell 206L, Bell 430, AS-365 N2, and EC-135). The objective was to establish the maximum angle of descent from a missed approach point (MAP) for a given altitude and approach speed. All tests were flown by an FAA Aircraft Certification Test Pilot. Descent maneuver profiles were collected using an Ashtech Z-12 Differential Global Positioning System provided by the FAA. The flight profile characteristics were observed and the descent maneuver success rate was tabulated for each helicopter. Data was analyzed by plotting each approach and departure individually. Summary statistics were calculated and composite plots were created for further analysis of aircraft behavior. The implied objective was to gather data to determine the lowest altitude and steepest descent combination that could be flown by this sampling of twin-engine helicopters. Each helicopter was flown in descents that required descent profile designs with descent angle geometries of 6°-11° at MAP altitudes of 200'-700' above ground level. In general, the results indicated that to achieve steeper descent angles at acceptable deceleration rates, lower approach speeds to the MAP were necessary. Approach speeds of 60-70 kts achieved the best altitude and descent angle combinations. [Taken from abstract] The full text of this report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Helicopter Visual Segment Evaluation Phase 11 : Subject Pilot Performance and Assessment

This provides access to a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technical report DOT/FAA/AR-07/51 written by Stephen Hickok and Edwin McConkey. The primary goal of the Helicopter Visual Segment Evaluation Phase II (HVSE II) project was to assess the feasibility ofchanging the policy and/or provide guidance for approval of special Point-in-Space (PinS) visual segment descent angle (VSDA)from a maximum of 7.5 degrees to 8.13 degrees. Flight tests were used to perform the feasibility assessment. Current FederalAviation Administration (FAA) PinS policy allows a maximum VSDA of 7.5 degrees. For VSDA in excess of 7.5 degrees, aspecial assessment requiring Flight Standards Service approval considering specific helicopter equipment and capabilities, pilottraining, and demonstrated capability is required.The FAA S76A helicopter was used for the flight tests. HVSE II testing included 16 industry subject pilots who completed 186data collection flights conducted at the FAA heliport. Three approach procedures were designed specifically for this project. Theapproach procedures were designed to allow testing at specified VSDA values (8.13 degrees) and missed approach point (MAP)to heliport distances (0.55 and 0.65 nautical miles (nm)). The target ground speed for testing was 80 knots (70 knots airspeed plus10 knots tailwind).Test data were collected using subject pilot questionnaires, data logs prepared by the flight test engineer, and the FAA globalpositioning system-based time-space position indication system (TSPI). Aircraft system data were collected using an FAAairborne data collection system. Key test parameters used in the performance evaluation were altitude above heliport, groundspeed, rate of descent, deceleration, and pitch attitude.Key findings from the HVSE II tests were a VSDA of 8.13 degrees permits safe, acceptable approaches if the MAP is located atleast 0.55 nm from the heliport; the minimum MAP to heliport distance for nonprecision approaches should be 0.55 nm to allowthe aircraft adequate time to decelerate to a hover; training specific to flying steep approaches is recommended for VSDA valuesof over 7.5 degrees; and the vertical profile of helicopters approaching a heliport (altitude vs. distance to heliport) is a curved pathwith increasing slope as the helicopter nears the heliport. The vertical path overshoots the VSDA by a significant margin. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Helicopter Visual Segment Evaluation Phase II: Subject Pilot Performance and Assessment

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-07/51) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January 2008 and was written by Stephen M. Hickok and Edwin D. McConkey. The primary goal of the Helicopter Visual Segment Evaluation Phase II (HVSE II) project was to assess the feasibility of changing the policy and/or provide guidance for approval of special Point-in-Space (PinS) visual segment descent angle (VSDA) from a maximum of 7.5 degrees to 8.13 degrees. Flight tests were used to perform the feasibility assessment. Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) PinS policy allows a maximum VSDA of 7.5 degrees. For VSDA in excess of 7.5 degrees, a special assessment requiring Flight Standards Service approval considering specific helicopter equipment and capabilities, pilot training, and demonstrated capability is required. The FAA S76A helicopter was used for the flight tests. HVSE II testing included 16 industry subject pilots who completed 186 data collection flights conducted at the FAA heliport. Three approach procedures were designed specifically for this project. The approach procedures were designed to allow testing at specified VSDA values (8.13 degrees) and missed approach point (MAP) to heliport distances (0.55 and 0.65 nautical miles (nm)). The target ground speed for testing was 80 knots (70 knots airspeed plus 10 knots tailwind). Test data were collected using subject pilot questionnaires, data logs prepared by the flight test engineer, and the FAA global positioning system-based time-space position indication system (TSPI). Aircraft system data were collected using an FAA airborne data collection system. Key test parameters used in the performance evaluation were altitude above heliport, ground speed, rate of descent, deceleration, and pitch attitude. Key findings from the HVSE II tests were a VSDA of 8.13 degrees permits safe, acceptable approaches if the MAP is located at least 0.55 nm from the heliport; the minimum MAP to heliport distance for nonprecision approaches should be 0.55 nm to allow the aircraft adequate time to decelerate to a hover; training specific to flying steep approaches is recommended for VSDA values of over 7.5 degrees; and the vertical profile of helicopters approaching a heliport (altitude vs. distance to heliport) is a curved path with increasing slope as the helicopter nears the heliport. The vertical path overshoots the VSDA by a significant margin. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Helicopter/Ship Qualification Testing

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARDograph, RTO-AG-300-V22, dated February 2003. It was sponsored by the SCI-055 Task Group, the Flight Test Technology Team of the Systems Concepts and Integration Panel (SCI) of RTO. The purpose of this AGARDograph is to document the preparation, execution, and data analysis of helicopter/ship flight-testing. The attention is focused on helicopter take-off and landing which constitutes the main part of the test programme. Described are: • the factors influencing the helicopter/ship operations; • how these factors are determined in various qualification programme elements; • how these factors are used to set up a flight test programme on board the ship; • how the ship-borne flight tests, within the constraints of safety and efficiency, are carried out; • in what way, during the tests, repeated use is made of the data obtained in the previous qualification programme elements and of the experience of the test team, resulting in the smallest possible number of flying hours without affecting the quality of the results. A brief outline of helicopter-ship qualification programmes as carried out by the Netherlands National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), by QinetiQ (formerly the UK Defence Evaluation & Research Agency (DERA) at Boscombe Down in the UK and by the US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) at Patuxent River is given. It describes how detailed information of the helicopter capabilities, ship's motion characteristics and the wind-climate above the ship's flight deck, is used to set up and to execute a safe and efficient flight test programme. The programme leads to a safe and maximum operational availability of the helicopter on board the ship in terms of take-off and landing capabilities as a function of relative wind and sea-state. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format and the full text is available in PDF format (15Mb).

Helicopter/Weapon System Integration

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Lecture Series, AGARD-LS-209, dated July 1997. This publication includes the papers presented in a NATO Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD) Lecture Series. This Lecture Series considered the problems of integrating externally mounted weapons on helicopters. The focus is on aeromechanical and structural aspects, with additional discussion on operational issues. It addresses new aspects in the field of helicopter/weapon system integration; it places a strong emphasis on the lessons learned from recent experiences in actual development programs. The publication includes case histories of weapons integration on the AH-64 Apache, the RAH-66 Comanche, the EH-101, and the Tiger. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document(65 Mb) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Helicopters '09 : Key to Mobility

Every year the European Defence Agency organises a Conference, which focuses on an important theme for EDA’s activities in that year. The 2009 EDA Conference was dedicated to “Helicopters – Key to Mobility”, and was held in Brussels on 10th March 2009. This site provides the slides of presentations, and in some cases the text of presentations.

Helideck Design Considerations : Environmental Effects

This gives access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Paper 2008/03 dated July 2009. The report contains guidance on good offshore helideck design practise in terms of environmental issues. This material was generated in support of Offshore Helideck Design Guidelines document published by the Health & Safety Commission on behalf of the Offshore Industry Advisory Committee Helicopter Liaison Group, and forms a section within that document. This material was originally published in CAA Paper 2004/02, and has been updated to take account of progress in several research areas. In particular, a turbulence criterion has been introduced and the original vertical flow criterion removed. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

HeliValue$

The HeliValue$ company publishes the Official Helicopter Blue Book, Helicopter Equipment Lists and Prices (HELP) and the Official Helicopter Specification Book. These are subscription-only services which provide helicopter resale prices, performance, technical specifications, and maintenance costs. Each issue of the Blue Book contains financial and technical details covering more than 100 different models which resell around the world. The site provides subscription information for each product, along with further details of its services and a sample of the Blue Book.

Heliweb

Heliweb is a commercial web site produced by Avia Press. It provides access to HELiDATA News and Classified, a subscription-based helicopter news and advertising magazine. The site also provides information on The Helicopter Museum, and includes online access to "Straight-up", the Museum's official newsletter. Details of the journal, Helicoper International are also provided on the site. This includes subscription information and online access to editorials.

House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts : Ministry of Defence Battlefield Helicopters : Eighth Report of Session 2004-05

This is the full text pdf version of the report, HC 386 (incorporating HC 1191-i session 2003-04), published on 18th March 2005. This report follows on from the National Audit Office Report, Ministry of Defence: Battlefield Helicopters, HC 486, published in April 2004. Three main issues are examined in this report; increased harmonisation between the forces for helicopter support and training, helicopter and equipment shortages, and the Chinook Mark 3 helicopter procurement programme. The report found that the formation of the Joint Helicopter Command has avoided the duplication that previously occured when the three services separately deployed their helicopters but that harmonisation of training practices across the three services should be promoted. It also found a large gap in capabilities in the number of helicopters needed and those available; the lack of proposals to fill this gap has caused concern, and the problem has been made worse by the MoD being unable to use the three Chinook Mark 3 helicopters it purchased in 2001.

House of Lords Committee to review Chinook ZD 576 crash

The site brings together a collection of information relating to the investigation of The House of Lords Select Committee. Appointed on 2nd July 2001, the Committe was tasked "to consider the justification for the finding of those reviewing the conclusions of the RAF Board of Inquiry that both pilots of the Chinook helicopter ZD 576 which crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on 2 June 1994 were negligent". The site includes minutes of eveidence, and the full text of the report of the RAF Board of Inquiry parts 1-5, and the AAIB statement, which forms Annex Q to the Board's report, which were released into the public domain on 10 August 2001. The Select Committe is to report to the House of Lords by 31 January 2002.

How Stuff Works : Weapons

Site provided by the HowStuffWorks media company which gives explanations on how things work, links to other relevant sites, and provides a forum for discussion of topics. This site is devoted to weapons and covers subjects such as Apache helicopters, fighter aircraft, body armour, missiles and bombs, grenades, guns, camouflage, and missile defence systems.

HUMS Extension to Rotor Health Monitoring

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) document dated 2008/05. This paper (Version 2 dated March 2009) contains the results of a review of the status of helicopter rotor health monitoring comprising a literature review, a review of the accident and incident statistics for the period 1976 to 4th April 2006 based on the CAA's mandatory occurrence reporting scheme (MORS) database, and a more detailed review of relevant accidents and incidents where more information was available, e.g. an AAIB accident report. The paper also provides summaries of the reports on earlier rotor health monitoring studies performed for the CAA by MJA Dynamics Ltd in the early 1990s that have not otherwise been published. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Ice Accretion Simulation

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Advisory Report, AGARD-AR-344, dated December 1997. It was sponsored by the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development. Ice Accretion Simulation is an important issue for flight safety. Every year several incidents happen which can be associated with severe icing problems. Although the bulk of them may be due to human mistakes during flight in icing conditions, some cases remain which are consequences of icing conditions never observed before or of failures not foreseen. Therefore, icing has always attracted great interest from aircraft manufacturers, authorities responsible for certification, and many researchers. The overall goal of the work presented in this report is to improve reliability, to reduce efforts and costs in civil and military aircraft certification/qualification procedures, and to improve civil and military aircraft flight safety. This report covers the effects of ice accretion on wings, tail surfaces, engine inlets, and rotary wings. Experimentally, besides the capability of icing wind tunnel facilities, the problems of spray tanker aircraft experiments are considered, the related similarity laws are examined, and the techniques for measuring droplet size and distribution are reviewed. The basic factors influencing computational predictions are discussed in detail, especially factors such as surface roughness and surface heat transfer. In addition to the 2D prediction methodology, the status of extensions to 3D is presented. An essential aim of a planned follow-on activity should be to establish some well-documented reference cases by suitable in-flight experiments, and to calibrate prediction tools and experimental facilities and techniques for those reference cases. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format and the full text is available in PDF format (50 Mb)from the RTO's web site.

Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives, Inc.

This Foundation is dedicated to acquiring, preserving and protecting the historical materials that chronicle the aviation careers of Igor Sikorsky, the companies he founded and the accomplishments of its employees. The collection dates from the latter part of the nineteenth century to the present. It consists of approximately 5,000 cubic feet of Sikorsky historical documents, blueprints, photographs, engineering wind tunnel and watertest models of Sikorsky's three different aeronautical accomplishments; fixed winged and multi-engined aircraft, transoceanic flying boats and helicopters. Also included are several books that Mr. Sikorsky authored and many personal artifacts. The web site provides a chronological listing of significant achievements, honours and awards. The site features images illustrating Sikorsky's life and works. The articles contained on the site include a brief history of helicopter development, illustrated descriptions of Sikorsky's designs and a history of Igor Sikorsky in two parts.

Increasing the Survivability of Helicopter Accidents over Water

This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-110) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by L. C. Ubels and J. F. M. Wiggenraad. Many aircraft accidents are potentially survivable, because they take place at low velocities and at low height. This applies in particular for helicopters. Hence, an increase in survivability of helicopter accidents has been pursued for the last two decades, especially by the military, by requiring an increased crashworthiness of these vehicles. These requirements were formulated in MIL STD-1290. The structural solution has been found in a combination of energy absorption mechanisms in the landing gear, the sub-floor structure and the seats. Since a few years, the MIL-STD requirements have been released, and safety requirements are now part of a trade-off process with performance and cost. In recent years, it has been noticed that the structural solutions developed to obtain sufficient crashworthiness of helicopters over land, do not fully apply to accidents over water. It is clear that, for instance, the landing gear will not function as a crash absorber in such accidents. Also, the sub-floor structure might fail in a different mode, bypassing the intended energy absorption mechanism. Since a few years, the US Navy supports a research programme to study this crash scenario. NLR has been working on a novel concept to compensate for the decreased crashworthiness of helicopters over water: the development of a structural concept for sub-floor structures, which have a better chance of surviving impacts on water. This concept is based on energy-absorbing sine-wave beams and a new skin panel configuration: the tensor-skin panel. This panel will not fracture but deploy during a water impact, and will be able to transfer impact loads to the sub-structure which is intended to absorb the energy. The presentation will illustrate the development of this concept, and the future prospects. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

International Vertical and/or Short Take-Off and Landing Aircraft (V/STOL) Historical Society

The site brings together links to V/STOL related web resources that have been created by, or feature significant contributions, from IVHS members. The V/STOL Encyclopedia Series include a number of presentations: German V/STOL Concepts in the Twentieth Century (fighters, rotorcraft, and transports), and French V/STOL Rotorcraft and Propellercraft. The site describes and where possible provides links to relevant V/STOL publications including: VTOL UAV's 'Come of Age: US Navy Begins Development of VTUAV' by Michael W. McKee, Ph.D., American Helicopter Society, Vertiflite, Summer 2000; and 'Bell Designs Are Accelerating at Full Tilt', by Michael Hirschberg, American Helicopter Society, Vertiflite, Fall 1999.

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JAR-FCL Criteria for the Approval of a Flying Training Organisation Offering Training for the Flight Instructor FI(R) and IRI Ratings (Aeroplane and Helicopter), CRI Ratings (Aeroplane), TRI Ratings (Helicopter) and MCCI Rating (Aeroplane and Helicopter)

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Standards document No.37 dated November 2006. This Standards Document replaces CAP 682 Part 6 and other parts that were not previously issued. It is designed to provide helpful guidance for the approval of Flying Training Organisations offering modular training for instructor ratings. This document should be read in conjunction with JAR-FCL 1 for aeroplanes and JAR-FCL 2 for helicopters. The initial version of this Standards Document has been submitted to representative industry bodies for comment and may be amended in the light of feedback received. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

JAR-FCL Criteria for the Approval of a Flying Training Organisation Offering Training for the JAA PPL and Night Qualification for Aeroplane and Helicopter, in a non-JAA State

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Standards document No.39 dated Febraury 2006. This document replaces CAP 682 Part 8: it is designed to provide guidance for the Approval of Flying Training Organisations offering training for the Private Pilot Licence whose principal place of business and registered office are outside the JAA Member State. The document should be read in conjunction with JAR-FCL 1 Flight Crew Licensing (Aeroplane) and JAR-FCL 2 Flight Crew Licensing (Helicopter). [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

JAR-FCL Criteria for the Approval of Flying Training Organisations Offering Modular Courses of Training for the JAA CPL and IR (Aeroplane & Helicopter) and Training for the MEP Class Rating (Aeroplane)

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Standards document No.36 dated November 2006. This Standards Document replaces CAP 682 Parts 4, 5 and 7. It is designed to provide helpful guidance for the approval of Flying Training Organisations offering modular flying training courses for CPL, IR and MEP. The document should be read in conjunction with JAR-FCL for aeroplanes and JAR-FCL for helicopters. The initial version of this Standards Document has been submitted to representative industry bodies for comment and may be amended in the light of feedback received. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

JAR-FCL Notes for the Guidance of Applicants Taking Helicopter Instructor (FI/TRI/IRI) Skill Tests

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Standards document No.42(H) dated May 2006. The document is intended to provide applicants for the grant of a Helicopter Instructor Rating (FI/TRI/IRI) with background information regarding the UK CAA's policy for the FI, TRI and IRI Helicopter Skill Tests. The information will help applicants prepare for this flight test, but it must be remembered that aspects mentioned here are of a general nature only and do not give precise details of each exercise or manoeuvre. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Joint Airworthiness Requirements

This facility is provided by the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and allows the full text of section 1 of the Joint Airworthiness Requirements (JARs) to be viewed. None of the guidance material is made available, this must be purchased separately. JARs available include: definitions and abbreviations, certification procedures for aircraft and related products and parts, sailplanes and powered sailplanes, normal, utility, aerobatic and commuter category aeroplanes, large aeroplanes, additional airworthiness requirements for operations, small rotorcraft, large rotorcraft, aircraft noise, certifying staff maintenance, approved maintenance organisations, approved maintenance training/examinations, auxiliary power units, all weather operations, engines, flight crew licensing - helicopter, aeroplane, medical and flight engineers, master minimum equipment list/minimum equipment list, commercial air transportation - aeroplanes and helicopters, propellers, joint technical standard orders, very light aeroplanes, aeroplane flight simulators, aeroplane flight training devices and aeroplane flight and navigation procedures trainers (Change 1).

Joint Aviation Requirements Flight Crew Licensing Authorisation of Flight Examiners (Helicopters)

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Standards document No.21(H) dated January 2006. This document provides guidance on the requirements for the authorisation of a Flight Examiner (Helicopter) only. For aeroplane, refer to Standards Document 21(A). Flight Examiners are not authorised to conduct PPL Theoretical Knowledge Examinations. The privileges and requirements of the Ground Examiners can be found in Standards Document 11. CAA Scheme of Charges and Forms are also available from the web site. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Key Publishing

This site from Key Publishing provides access to the following aviation titles - FlyPast, Airforces Monthly, Airliner World, Air International, Air Enthusiast,X-Planes and Today's Pilot. The information provided includes summaries and photographs from the current issues and selected back issues. There is also a free photo gallery and an online shop and a link to Aviation Forum. The magazine are available in HTML format.

Light Aircraft Maintenance Schedules (Helicopters)

This site provides the full text of the 4th edition of this schedule published on the 14th March 2005. The schedule addresses the scheduled maintenance requirements for helicopters used for commercial air transport and non-commercial air transport and is applicable to EASA regulated helicopters. It is available in PDF format.

Light Utility Helicopter Safety in Australia

The aim of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is to maintain and improve transport safety and public confidence. This is the full text (1,016 KB PDF) of an Aviation Safety Research report number BE04/73 published in June 2004. Light utility helicopters made up half the fleet of registered helicopters in Australia, yet were involved in 72 per cent of helicopter accidents between January 1985 and December 2003. This report compared the relative safety of four light utility helicopter models. These are the: Robinson R22, 47G (made variously by Bell Helicopter Company, Agusta SPA Costruzioni or Kawasaki Heavy Industries), 269 (made by Hughes Helicopters or Schweizer Aircraft Corporation) and Hiller UH-12E. These helicopters are primarily single engine, reciprocating engine aircraft and the demand for them in Australia is high. The number of light utility helicopters on the civil register grew by 36 per cent between 1990 and 2002. The aim of this report was to determine if any particular light utility helicopter model has a higher risk profile than similar aircraft. For each of the light utility helicopter models the report compared accident trends (fatal and non-fatal), accident rates per registered aircraft, fatal accident rates per hours flown and accident rates per hours flown. The report also reviewed the type of flying operation where accidents occurred and the accident outcomes for each of the models of interest.

Military.com

Designed for America's military community, this site aims to meet the needs of military consumers. It is a joint service site and covers travel, careers, reunions, finance and merchandise, as well as military history, military equipment, military news and military operations. There are areas tailored specifically to members of the army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, veterans and spouses which you have to register to use, but subscriptions are free.

Minimum Colour Vision Requirements for Professional Flight Crew : Recommendations for New Colour Vision Standards.

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report 2009/04 dated May 2009. This study investigated new methods for the accurate assessment of colour vision in order to provide improved guidelines for minimum colour vision requirements for flight crew that are both safe and fair to applicants. The innovative Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test employed establishes whether an applicant has colour vision within the normal range, identifies the class and severity of any colour vision deficiency and indicates whether an applicant's colour vision meets the minimum requirements for flight safety. It may also have important implications for other modes of transport where colour vision is safety critical and for use in public health. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Ministry of Defence : Helicopter Logistics : Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General

This provides access to a UK National Audit Office (NAO) Report HC 840 2001-2002, 23 May 2002. The report was prepared by a NAO study team under the direction of David Clarke. The report examines the performance of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and in particular the role of the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) in providing logistics support to its helicopters and the initiatives being taken to improve logistics management. The text of the report is available on the NAO's web site in PDF format (533 KB).

Ministry of Defence: Battlefield Helicopters

This is the full text of a report published in April 2004 by the National Audit Office as HC 486 session 2003-4. It reviews the procurement of Chinook helicopters by the Ministry of Defence. Critical comments are made by the MOD procurement management. Reference is also made about poor provision of helicopter power in the British defence and armed forces. The report is in pdf and so readers need adobe acrobat to read it.

MIT Information Control Engineering : Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems

This site is the home page of Massachussets Institute of Technology's Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems. The main feature of the site is full text access to many reports and papers produced by the Laboratory's staff in the subject areas of aerial robotics and path planning, air traffic management, control and operations research.

NASA's Airspace Systems Program (ASP)

NASA has restructured its aeronautics programs, returning to long-term investment in cutting-edge fundamental research in traditional aeronautics disciplines. The Airspace Systems Program (ASP) is responding to our nation's urgent need to transform its air transportation system. The transformation includes both the operational management of our National Airspace System (NAS), as well as the types of aircraft that fly within the NAS. The primary research role for ASP is the operational aspects of the airspace system, while the Fundamental Aeronautics Program and Aviation Safety Program will make contributions primarily to the vehicles and vehicle safety. ASP will be responsible for developing concepts, capabilities, and technologies for high-capacity, efficient, and safe airspace and airportal systems. This work is to enable transformation to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS), as defined by the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO). NGATS is a multi-agency vision and plan to meet serious challenges facing the U.S. air transportation system, and projected to operate by the year 2025. Overview of the program and reference documents for each project in Airspace Systems, like; NGATS Airspace and NGATS Airportal are available in pdf format.

NASA's Aviation Safety Program

NASA has restructured its aeronautics programs, returning to long-term investment in cutting-edge fundamental research in traditional aeronautics disciplines. NASA's unique capabilities in aviation safety research are dedicated to improving the safety of current and future aircraft operating in the National Airspace System. The research focus is on the way vehicles are designed, built, operated, and maintained. Scientists and engineers in this program develop principles, guidelines, concepts, tools, methods, and technologies to address four areas: Aircraft Aging and Durability, Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Technologies, Integrated Vehicle Health Management, and Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control.Overview of the program and reference documents for each project in Aviation Safety like; Integrated Vehicle Health Management and Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control Project are also available in pdf format.

NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program

NASA has restructured its aeronautics programs, returning to long-term investment in cutting-edge fundamental research in traditional aeronautics disciplines. The top-level goal of the fundamental aeronautics program is the development of system-level, multi-disciplinary capabilities for both civilian and military applications. This program provides long-term investment in research to support and sustain expert competency in critical core areas of aeronautics technology. The work in fundamental aeronautics produces knowledge, data, capabilities, and design tools to benefit a variety of air vehicles. Fundamental Aeronautics concentrates research in four areas: Subsonic Fixed Wing, Subsonic Rotary Wing, Supersonics, and Hypersonics.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) publication : We Are All Safer

The web site provides access to the full text of the NTSB report: We Are All Safer, 2nd ed, July 1998. The report presents some of the major lessons learned through Safety Board investigations, as well as changes that have been made to prevent future accidents. Aviation safety issues addressed in the report include: ground proximity warning systems, fire safety, windshear, icing, midair collisions, rejected takeoffs, runway overruns, alcohol and aviation, parachuting safety, aircraft seats, seatbelt integrity, regional and commuter airlines, crew resource management, aircraft design, structural fatigue and corrosion, uncontained engine component failure, off-wing escape slides, pitot-static system blockages, helicopter safety, fuel tank explosions, turbopropeller airplane safety, flight safety in Alaska, and space. The report is available online in PDF format (1.1M).

Natural Frequencies and Mode Shapes of a Nonlinear, Uniform Cantilevered Beam

This is the full text of a Master's thesis by Lieutenant Daniel J. Marquez-Chisolm, USAF, AFIT/GAE/ENY/06-S06, which was presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Air University's Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), in September 2006. A series of experiments in 1975, referred to as the Princeton Beam Experiments, were performed to measure natural frequencies and create a nonlinear elastic deformation model to improve helicopter main beam designs. These experiments used a homogeneous 7075 aluminum beam and have been referenced as a baseline for the past thirty years to validate computer models and theories in an effort to build beams capable of withstanding aero-elastic, static, and dynamic loading. The purpose of this study is to measure the dynamic nonlinear bending and torsion response of a cantilever beam. The natural frequencies are measured in the flatwise and edgewise directions at different static root pitch angles with varying levels of tip weights. The measured natural frequencies were compared to linear equations of motion, a nonlinear computer model and previous experiments to verify the nonlinear effects of root pitch angle and tip weights. The experiment produced promising results in that the first mode in the edgewise and flatwise directions were within the error bands of the Princeton Beam Experiment and that the linear model matched the experimental case with no tip weights. Further experimentation is needed in order to properly calculate the edgewise frequencies and estimate mode shapes. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format on the Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET) which is provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Night Vision Goggles in Civil Helicopter Operations

This web site provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report (B2004/0152) dated April 2005. Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) are binocular devices that enhance unaided night vision for pilots. Typically, NVGs are mounted on a pilot’s helmet. This position enables pilots to look through the goggles outside the cockpit or under the goggles at flight instruments. By enabling the pilot to see in the dark, NVGs have the potential to improve the safety of visual flight at night. In most conditions, night vision goggles provide pilots with a significant increase in the quality of visual information compared with unaided night vision. They allow the pilot to see the horizon, objects, terrain and weather more easily. Furthermore, they assist the pilot to maintain spatial orientation, to avoid hazards such as inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) entry, and to visually navigate. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format and is provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau web site.

Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas : Guidance on Standards

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 437, prepared by the Safety Regulation Group (SRG), 6th edition, December 2008. This publication gives guidance on the criteria applied by the CAA in assessing the standards of helicopter offshore landing areas for worldwide use by helicopters registered in the United Kingdom. The 6th Edition has been revised to incorporate valuable experience gained from CAA funded research projects conducted with the support of the UK offshore industry. It also includes new ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, to be adopted in November 2009, relating to offshore helidecks and shipboard heliports, as well as material from the new fourth edition of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Guide to Helicopter/Ship Operations. For the first time guidance is included for the design of winching area arrangements located on wind turbine platforms. The text is available in PDF format (597 kb) from the CAA's publications web site.

Offshore Helideck Environmental Research

This provides access to a UK Civil Avaition Authority (CAA) paper 2008/02 dated May 2009. This paper comprises two parts. The first reports on the validation of the turbulence criterion developed for operations to offshore platforms (see CAA Paper 2004/03) using archive wind tunnel data and operational data collected via Bristow Helicopters helicopter operations monitoring programme (HOMP). The second part covers the review of the CAP 437 0.9 m/s vertical wind component criterion which, ultimately, provided the justification for its removal. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Operational Evaluation of Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS)

This final report (NASA/CR-1998-207409; DOT/FAA/AR-97/64; ARL-CR-420) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in April 1998, and was written by J. Cronkhite et al. This report describes the results of a research program to evaluate structural usage monitoring and damage tolerance methodology using data collected concurrently during a helicopter flight program. In addition to usage monitoring evaluations, guidelines for HUMS certification are discussed along with potential economic benefits and simplified "mini-HUMS" approaches to provide low cost systems with high paybacks [extracted from FAA abstract]. This is a PDF file [57 pages, 1Mb] so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Popular Rotorcraft Association

The Popular Rotorcraft Association (PRA) represents enthusisasts and others concerned with homebuilt helicopters, autogyros, and other rotorcraft. The PRA promotes the exchange of ideas and information, and facilitates safety and flight training. It is a worldwide organization with members in over 50 countries and with headquarters at Mentone, Indiana. The site provides a range of information resources including: links to regional PRA chapters, an FAQ on homebuilt rotorcraft, a list of qualified instructors, a directory of rotorcraft types and manufacturers, a listing of relevant book titles and a link to an online discussion forum.

Preliminary Study of the Implementation and use of Emergency Breathing Systems

This is UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA Paper 2003/13, prepared by the Safety Regulation Group of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, issued 24 October 2003. This preliminary study of the implementation and use of various forms of emergency breathing systems (EBS) was commissioned by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on behalf of the Joint Aviation Authorities' Helicopter Offshore Safety and Survival (HOSS) working group following a workshop on EBS held at Billingham, UK in October 2000. The work was funded by the Safety Regulation Group of the UK CAA and the Offshore Safety Division of the UK Health and Safety Executive as part of an ongoing programme of research into the mitigation of helicopter ditchings and water impacts. The primary aim of this study was to establish the extent of knowledge and testing performed on various forms of emergency breathing system (EBS). Issues and concerns were reviewed, highlighting gaps in the current knowledge. It includes an example technical standard for emergency breathing systems. This draft standard identifies minimum performance requirements to ensure that equipment is manufactured to consistent and satisfactory standards, and that basic health and safety requirements are met. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (366 kb) from the CAA's web site.

Proceedings of the FAA-NASA Symposium on the Continued Airworthiness of Aircraft Structures : Vol. 1

Compiled by Catherine A. Bigelow, these proceedings (DOT/FAA/AR-97/2) were published in July 1997 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This collection of papers on airworthiness of aircraft structures discusses airframe life extension through quantitative rework inspections, analysis of a composite repair, analytical fatigue life estimation of full-scale fuselage panels, and application of acoustic emissions (AE) to health monitoring of helicopter mechanical systems. This is a PDF file so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Research on Offshore Helideck Environmental Issues

The site provides access to UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA Paper 99004, prepared by R E Whitbread and S A Coleman, BMT Fluid Mechanics Limited, Document No. 43135 Report 2, issued 22 November 2002. The report presents the results of a study of the environmental factors affecting helicopters operating to offshore helidecks. It establishes the nature and extent of environmental problems, reviews the ‘state-of-the-art’ in relation to the techniques and technologies that could be deployed to mitigate the problems identified, recommends a course of short, medium and long term actions to address the problems, and recommends changes to the guidance material contained in CAP 437 (Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas - Guidance on Standards) to improve its quality and scope. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (1.1 mb) from the CAA's web site.

Review of Damage Tolerance for Composite Sandwich Airframe Structures : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-99/49, by J. Tomblin and others, dated August 1999. The report presents a review of previous damage tolerance investigations. It includes a compilation of damage tolerance certification procedures; a survey of past and current airframe industry sandwich constructions; and recommendations for future research. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Review of General Aviation Fatal Accidents 1985-94

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 667, produced in March 1997 (reprinted May 2002). The review concentrates on fatal accidents to UK registered aeroplanes and helicopters of 5700kg maximum take-off mass and below. Microlights, gyroplanes and gliders were excluded. The report focuses on the causal factors of the accidents, to help reduce such events in the future, and makes recommendations to Safety Regulation Group management for appropriate consideration and action. The text is available in PDF format (581 kb) from the CAA's publications web site.

Review of Helicopter Offshore Safety and Survival

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 641, produced in February 1995 and reprinted in May 2002. CAP 641 addresses all aspects of offshore helicopter safety and survival in the context of an integrated system. With the intention of maximising the prospects of occupants surviving a helicopter accident at sea. The text is available in PDF format (656 kb) from the CAA's publications web site.

Robinson R22 Helicopter Aerial Mustering Usage Investigation

This provides access to a Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report B20040292 written by J Lamshed ...[et al] and dated October 2007. The Robinson R22 helicopter is the most common model of rotary-wing aircraft on the Australian register and has been a popular choice for private operations, flying training and various types of aerial work activity. The R22 has a relatively good safety record compared with other light piston-engine helicopters in Australia based on activity levels. The R22 is also the favoured type for aerial stock mustering operations – an uniquely Australian application that supports the local beef cattle industry. Despite its popularity in this type of work, little was known about the helicopter’s suitability for the task. Like other helicopters on the Australian register, the R22 received its initial airworthiness certification in its country of manufacture (United States). The spectrum of manoeuvres conducted in aerial stock mustering did not form part of the flight profile used when the helicopter type received its certification. In 2004 the ATSB commissioned AeroStructures, an Australian engineering company, to undertake a study of forces acting on an R22 engaged in aerial mustering operations. Their study offers some useful data on R22 flight profiles in aerial mustering operations, and compares these with the flight profiles used by Robinson Helicopter Company when the helicopter was initially certified. The AeroStructures testing showed that mustering operations can involve large and sudden power changes that apply very high loads on the helicopter’s drive system, and these may exceed the limits set during the certification process. Their report highlights the importance of handing technique, and especially good engine management. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace

Rolls-Royce is a high technology engineering group involved in the aerospace and industrial power systems industries. It provides products and services to commercial and military customers in propulsion, electrical power and materials handling markets around the world. Rolls-Royce provides power to the world's armed forces for applications ranging from front line combat aircraft and large military transporters to combat and light helicopters. This part of their site provides details of their military product range which include turbofans, turboshafts and turboprops fact sheets with detailed drawings and specifications of the products can also be downloaded. Details are available about market trends and customer services. The rest of the Rolls-Royce site can be reached from here, which contains information about civil aerospace, marine, energy and investor relations. Careers information and the latest news is also available.

Rotor / Fuselage Unsteady Interactional Aerodynamics : A New Computational Model

This web page provides access to a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering PhD dissertation, by David Douglas Boyd, Jr, dated 27 July 1999. The thesis describes the development of a new unsteady rotor/fuselage interactional aerodynamics model. Comparisons are made between predictions using this new model and experiments for an isolated rotor and for a coupled rotor/fuselage configuration. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format [19.69 Mb]. This title is part of Virginia Tech’s Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection (VT ETD).

Rotorcraft Aerodynamics Group

This is the home page of this group which is based at the University of Maryland. The site provides background information to the group's interests and briefly describes research projects being undertaken. The site also gives the opportunity to download the full text of several technical reports written by members of the group for AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) conferences and for the American Helicopter Society. These are in PDF format.

Rotorcraft Aeromechanics Branch

The Branch is part of the US Army/NASA Rotorcraft Division of the Ames Research Centre, and is responsible for aeromechanics research activities that directly support the Department of Defense and the U.S. rotorcraft industry. The web site includes an introduction to the Branch, quarterly highlights of its work, and a list of products and services. The sections on research facilities and research programmes contain useful technical overviews with links to some supporting papers. There is also a section which provides links to computational methods research programmes. Technical publications produced by Branch staff are listed, and many of the recent items are available in full text (PDF format).

Rotorcraft Research Group Carleton University

This group at integrates research efforts in the field of rotorcraft aerodynamics, aeroelasticity, aeroacoustics, blade dynamics and smart structures. Its main research program is based around the SHARCS project, which aims to prove the concept of an actively controlled helicopter "smart" rotor for the reduction of vibration and noise experimentally. Other areas of interest include rotorcraft aerodynamics, aeroelasticity and aeroacoustics, fixed wing aeroelasticity, blade dynamics, smart structures, controls, aircraft and helicopter structures and design integration. The site provides detailed information about past and present research, and in some cases provides full text papers.

Rotorcraft Smoothing Via Linear Time Periodic Methods

This is the full text of a thesis written by Christopher Schulz which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio in July 2007. This research presents the development of an on line linear time periodic rotor vibration controller. The Cramer-Rao bound is developed for a linear time periodic system in order to identify the quality of identified system parameters, which are used in system models for controller development. The methods developed in this work allow model parameters can be verified for accuracy and likewise adjusted to improve controller accuracy.[Taken from abstarct]. This is in PDF format, so adobe acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Russian Navy Weapons Catalogue

This site lists information on all aspects of Russian naval vessels and the weapons they carry. It is divided into discrete areas:- Cruisers, Destroyers, Frigates, Corvettes, Submarines, Aircraft and Missiles. There are images and detailed specifications on each item. There are links to other Russian military web sites, some in English, some in Russian.

Safety Study of Wire Strike Devices Installed on Civil and Military Helicopters

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)technical report DOT/FAA/AR-08/25 written by Vengalaottore Nagaraj and Inderjit Chopra dated September 2008. Military and the National Transportation Safety Board databases. The objective of the research was to conduct a study on wire strike accidents of civil and military helicopters between 1994 and 2004 to establish trends, assess the potential of existing technology for reducing wire strike accidents, and to recommend solutions that could substantially reduce the number of wire strike accidents. Trends in accidents were established for both military and civil wire strike accidents. The age group and experience profiles of the pilots involved in civil helicopter wire strike accidents were found to be similar to those found in an earlier study. Devices available for warning pilots about the proximity of wires are described and their relative merits assessed. Recommendations are made for reducing the number of helicopter wire strike accidents. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Shephard Press Publications

This site provides details of journals, handbooks, conferences and exhibitions published by Shephard Press, a specialist publishers. Limited information from titles including Helicopter World, Defence Helicopter, Unmanned Vehicles, Regional World, Inflight and Air Ambulance is available free of charge, for example, selected news items and details of the contents of the current issue. The site also provides information about the handbooks which are published to compliment the magazines, and forthcoming events. Subscription details are given.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, is involved in the design and manufacture of advanced helicopters for commercial, industrial and military uses. The web site includes background information about the company and a brief history, which provides a link to the Igor Sikorsky Historical Archives. The product range of helicopters is described. The publications section of the site contains a selection of product brochures which contain summaries of perfomance specifications. These include for example the S-70A International Black Hawk, the S-70B International Seahawk, and the S-92. The publications section also contains details of the company's Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals, online technical directives (access restricted to owners and operators), and online Safety Advisories. There is also a news section which contains press releases and an inhouse journal, Sikorsky Lifeline. The site also contains information on the Company's community activities, aircraft sales, job opportunities, and an image gallery.

Society of Allied Weight Engineers (SAWE) - Recommended Practices

This web site provides access to the full-text of a number of recommended practice documents produced by the Society of Allied Weight Engineers (SAWE). The documents include the following: Requirements for Aircraft On-Board Weight and Balance System; Guidelines for Mass Properties Control on International Space and Missile Systems; Mass Properties Control System for Wheeled and Tracked Vehicles; Standard Coordinate Systems for Reporting the Mass Properties of Flight Vehicles; Mass Properties Management and Control For Military Aircraft; Weight and Balance Data Reporting Forms for Aircraft (including Rotorcraft); Weight and Balance Control System for Guided Missiles and Space Launch Vehicles; Weight and Balance Data Reporting Forms for Guided Missiles and Space Launch Vehicles; Mass Properties Control for Space Vehicles; Weight Control Technical Requirements For Naval Surface Ships; and Standard Coordinate System for Reporting Mass Properties of Surface Ships and Submarines. The documents are presented in a variety of formats including: PDF, MS Word 95 and MS Excel.

Specification for an Offshore Helideck Status Light System

The site provides access to UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA Paper CAA Paper 2003/06, prepared by the CAA's Safety Regulation Group (SRG), November 2004. This report provides a recommended technical specification for an offshore helideck status signalling system in support of CAA's best practice guidance material published in CAP 437, Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas – Guidance on Standards. The operational requirement for the system is described along with the development of the technical specification. A test procedure for the measurement of the performance of flashing lights intended for use as helideck status lights is also presented. The specification supersedes that contained in CAA Paper 98003. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (248 kb) from the CAA's web site

Stick and Feel System Design

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARDograph, RTO-AG-332, authored by J.C. Gibson and R.A. Hess; sponsored by the Flight Vehicle Integration Panel of AGARD, dated March 1997. The report explains; Since the earliest days of manned flight, designers have to sought to assist the pilot in the performance of tasks by using stick and feel systems to bring these tasks within the bounds of human physical capabilities. This volume describes stick and feel systems in two parts. Part one describes the technologies which have been developed throughout the history of 20th Century aviation. Part two describes how modern systems dynamics interact with the human pilot. It is hoped that the design lessons and approaches outlined in this volume will contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of force-feel system design in aircraft/rotorcraft flight control. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format. The full text can be accessed online in PDF format (7 Mb) from the RTO's web site.

Summary Report on Helicopter Ditching and Crashworthiness Research : Part A General

This is UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) CAA Paper 2005/06, prepared by the CAA's Safety Regulation Group (SRG), 16 December 2005. This report summarises the results of the research activities on helicopter ditching stability and water impact carried out for CAA over a period of about twelve years. The work was commissioned in response to the recommendations of the 1984 HARP Report (CAP 491) and the 1995 RHOSS Report (CAP 641). The report includes a number of associated but previously unpublished study reports and papers. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (3 mb) from the CAA's web site.

System Identification for Integrated Aircraft Development and Flight Testing

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-011, Paris, March 1999. The document contains papers presented at the the Systems Concepts and Integration Panel (SCI) Symposium held in Madrid, Spain, 5-7 May 1998. The objectives of the symposium were to review the state-of-the-art of flight vehicle system identification, and to provide a critical appraisal of current methods developed and applied to flight test data in a number of NATO countries. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (35.6 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library

Test and Interpretation of Small Fatigue Crack Growth in Metallic Rotocraft Stuctures with Emphasis on the Statistical Characteristics

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technical report DOT/FAA/AR-08/6 written by Marcus Cappelli, Robert Calson and George Kardomatea dated February 2008. This report presents the results of an experimental program on the growth of small, multisite fatigue cracks on smooth surfaces in 7075-T7351 aluminum. It was shown that the resulting population of measured cracks was bimodal. That is, it consisted of primary cracks that can grow until failure by fracture in each specimen, and secondary cracks that ultimately arrest. An experimental procedure for separating the two distributions was developed and used to obtain confidence intervals for crack length versus loading cycles. A microstructurally based transition point between small and long crack behavior was also developed and used. Topics for additional research that need to be further developed and applied to the bimodal model of cluster small crack growth are presented. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Tests and Interpretation of Small Fatigue Crack Growth in Metallic Rotorcraft Structures With Emphasis on the Statistical Characteristics

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-08/6) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aviation Research and Development in February 2008 and was written by Marcus D. Cappelli, Robert L. Carlson and George A. Kardomateas. This report presents the results of an experimental program on the growth of small, multisite fatigue cracks on smooth surfaces in 7075-T7351 aluminum. It was shown that the resulting population of measured cracks was bimodal. That is, it consisted of primary cracks that can grow until failure by fracture in each specimen, and secondary cracks that ultimately arrest. An experimental procedure for separating the two distributions was developed and used to obtain confidence intervals for crack length versus loading cycles. A microstructurally based transition point between small and long crack behavior was also developed and used. Topics for additional research that need to be further developed and applied to the bimodal model of cluster small crack growth are presented. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDf file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

The Boundary Conforming Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Approach for Rotorcraft Simulations

This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-460) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by O. J. Boelens, H. van der Ven, B. Oskam and A. A. Hassan. A numerical method has been developed for predicting the complex vortex-wake for a helicopter rotor in hover and in forward flight. The method is based on the solution of the three-dimensional, compressible Euler equations expressed in an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) reference frame. A second-order accurate discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite-element method is used to discretize the governing equations on a hexahedral mesh. Unstructured, local mesh refinement is performed to enable prediction of the structure of the vortex-wake. The capabilities of this CFD method are demonstrated by simulations of the flow around the Caradonna-Tung helicopter rotor in hover and simulations of the flow around the Operational Loads Survey helicopter rotor in forward flight. Accuracy of the method is assessed through comparison with wind tunnel data, if available. Special attention is given to a rotor trimming procedure developed by NLR, and the grid adaptation algorithm. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

The Development of Ditching and Water Impact Design Limit Curves for Civil Rotocraft

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-07/8) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aviation Research and Development in May 2007 and was written by Gil Wittlin and Max Gamon. This report describes the further development of Design Limit Envelopes (DLE) for rotorcraft. A Bell Helicopter (BH) 205 was used as a prototype rotorcraft configuration upon which KRASH models were developed and analyses were performed. Included in the KRASH analysis of ditching and severe, but survivable, water impacts are structural integrity levels and occupant protection considerations. The DLE defines the vertical velocity versus longitudinal velocity relationship for which acceptable structural and occupant protection are provided. Previously, two full-scale, fully instrumented water impact tests of a helicopter were performed. KRASH models were established and their results correlated with the test results. A correlation between test and analysis results was performed to validate the models and to develop an understanding of the significance of the test measurements, the analytical representation, and the differences between the two. Further confidence in the correlation procedures was established under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-sponsored effort in which a comprehensive evaluation of various correlation techniques was performed. In addition, Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 27 and 29 requirements and compliance procedures were evaluated in a previous FAA-sponsored effort and shown to have limitations. Under this former effort, preliminary water impact DLEs were proposed based on UH-1H helicopter tests and analyses. Under this current effort, a set of KRASH BH-205 helicopter structural and occupant models were established based on available data. These models were used to perform analyses for various sets of survivable water impact conditions. Consideration was given to rotorcraft impact velocity and attitude, rotorcraft weight, landing gear position, underside panel strength, mass item design load factors, fuel cell and surrounding structure, crash design load factors, flotation system performance, auxiliary fuel tanks, and water surface sea-state conditions. Acceptance criteria was established based on structural failure loads, occupant lumbar load, head injury, restraint system loads, underside panel failures, major mass item retention, interior structure impingement loads, and seat stroke limitations. A set of survivable water impact DLEs were presented. In addition, floor accelerations were provided for consideration and comparison with existing seat dynamic test requirements. As a result of this effort, a better understanding of viable design requirements for different levels of water impacts has been achieved. There was also increased confidence in the ability of the analysis to represent all levels of water impacts, as well as evaluate design changes. These results can potentially be used for defining design standards and compliance procedures related to water impact scenarios. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

The Eagle Eye UAV

This is the web site of Bell Helicopter Textron that is related to the Eagle Eye UAV. The Bell Eagle Eye has the space, weight and power to carry surveillance, targeting, Electronic Warfare and lethal payloads. Offering speed flexibility as well as Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL), the Bell Eagle Eye is the most versatile UAV on the market. This site brings together as well a pocket guide of the Eagle Eye in pdf format.

The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage

This web site was created in order to help answer the question of what airfoil or airfoils were used in the wing design of a particular aircraft. The entries are listed under three sections: Conventional aircraft; Canard and three surface aircraft, and, Helicopters, tilt rotors and autogyros. This list is titled as "Incomplete", as there are many aircraft that are still not included.

The Investigation, Evaluation, and Application of Techniques for Correlating Rotorcraft Full-Scale Water Impact Tests Versus Analyses

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AR-04/5 by Gil Wittlin and Max Gamon dated June 2004. This report presents the results of applying various correlation techniques between aircraft water impact tests and analysis. Various relationships, such as between floor accelerations and panel pressures amplitudes or between time and frequency domains, were also investigated. This report describes the investigation and evaluation of several procedures considered appropriate for correlation. The investigation included frequency filtering levels, the application of modal analysis and contribution, the application of power spectral density techniques, the Huang Hilbert Spectra analysis procedure, force reconstruction techniques, and automotive industry correlation procedures. The conclusions, drawn from the results, indicate that the use of different correlation techniques provides a better understanding of water impact testing versus analysis. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

The Principles of Flight Test Assessment of Flight-Safety-Critical Systems in Helicopters

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AG-300 Volume 12, dated August 1994. Modern helicopters usually incorporate many engineering systems (including pilot-aiding systems such as autostabilisers and flight directors) which are essential to the safe and effective use of the helicopter. Where the helicopter can be endangered by failure of a system (or of one of its units), that system is termed flight-safety-critical. In general, the use of those systems should not incur a higher probability of hazard to the helicopter than that considered acceptable from considerations of structural or mechanical failure. In assessing the suitability of a helicopter for its intended mission(s), it has become increasingly important to consider the effects of the various systems provided. In particular, assessments of the implications of systems performance and failures derived from calculation and ground tests should be validated by flight tests. This paper seeks to establish the general principles applicable to the testing in flight of any flight-safety-critical system, with emphasis on certification rather than system development. It does not deal with the testing of particular systems, but it is hoped that readers will find the principles described readily applicable to specific cases.This AGARDograph has been sponsored by the Flight Mechanics Panel of AGARD. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (2.1 MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

The Requirements for an Emergency Breathing System (EBS) in Over-Water Helicopter and Fixed Wing Aircraft Operations

The site provides access to a NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) document, RTO AGARDograph 341 (RTO-AG-341); edited by C.J. (Chris) Brooks and M.J. (Mike) Tipton, for the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) of the RTO, dated May 2001. The report presents a review of the latest statistics and information on survivability from helicopter ditching. It concludes that the provision of some form of Emergency Breathing System (EBS), whether a re-breather or compressed air unit, would extend the time underwater and hence improve survivability. The report presents a summary of the current EBS situation. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (5.17 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Towards Affordable CFD Simulations of Rotors in Forward Flight. A Feasibility Study with Future Application to Vibrational Analysis

This technical report (NLR-TP-2003-100) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2003 and was written by H. van der Ven and O.J. Boelens. In this report a new solution method for the simulation of rotors in forward flight is presented. The novelty of the solution method is that it turns a dynamic problem into a static problem. The solution method will render the quantitative vibrational analysis of helicopters feasible and affordable. For the vibrational analysis of the rotor/hub/pylon system of a helicopter it is essential that: - the aerodynamics model is strongly coupled to the elasto-mechanical models, - the aerodynamics model is based on first principles, - the rotor system is trimmed on the basis of the CFD results. Straightforward implementation of these points of departure would yield a helicopter vibrations analysis system which requires prohibitively large computing times, due to disparate time scales and high resolution requirements. The new solution method decreases both the numerical complexity of the coupled system, and its computational complexity. Local grid refinement can be used to decrease the CFD grid size, without jeopardising the parallel efficiency of the method. The new solution method is applied to the simulation of the flow around a rotor in forward flight, combined with local grid refinement in both space and time. The method demonstrates good vortex capturing capabilities on a space-time grid which is a factor 15 smaller than the equivalent spatial grid of conventional simulations. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Transport Canada : Commercial and Business Aviation

This branch of Transport Canada is responsible for the safety regulation, inspection and monitoring of all Canadian business and commercial air operators, as well as foreign air operators who operate in Canadian airspace. The site links to information on the Directorate's various areas of responsibility including Airline Inspection; Aviation Occupational Health and Safety, Cabin Safety Standards; Certification Standards; Dangerous Goods Standards; and Operational Standards. There are sections of the site which describe Branch programmes such as the Approved Check Pilot Program, the Generated Minimum Equipment List (GMEL) Program, and the National Simulator Evaluation Program. The site also contains a copy of the Branch business plan and provides access to a number of databases including: Air Operators; Approved Aircraft Simulators and Flight Training Devices; and Minimum Equipment Lists (MMEL and GMEL. A range of full text documents and publications are also available including Commercial and Business Aviation Manuals Policy Letters and Advisory Circulars.

Turbulent Flowfield Downstream of a Perpendicular Airfoil--Vortex Interaction

This web page provides access to a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering PhD dissertation, by Kenneth S. Wittmer, dated 12 August 1998. The thesis describes experiments that document the turbulent flowfield produced downstream of an airfoil encountering an intense streamwise vortex. Detailed three-component velocity and turbulence measurements were made using a computerized miniature four-sensor hot-wire probe system. The experiments presented are intended to assist the prediction of helicopter noise. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format [10.70 Mb]. This title is part of Virginia Tech’s Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection (VT ETD).

U.S. Army Helicopters and U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Forces : Implications for Halting Military Operations

This gives access to a U.S. Center for Strategy and Technolog, Air War College, Occasional Paper No.22, written by Brad Mason and dated June 2001. This paper examines the operational concept, which is not entirely novel, of U.S. Army Attack helicopters operating in concert with USAF fighter aircraft. Joint Air Attack Team (JAAT) doctrine and tactics are well established and the practical joint employment of these systems has been prevalent since the Vietnam War. This paper recommends a level of integration that transcends synchronized operations and envisions the formation of a truly joint Aerospace Expeditionary Force (AEF)coalescing planning, training, and deployment functions and employing as a single integrated joint force. [Taken from abstract]. This is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

United States Navy and Marine Corps School of Aviation Safety

The site of the US Navy and Marine Corps School of Aviation Safety provides access to a variety of information resources including its mission statement, class schedules and course descriptions. It also provides access to aviation safety related information including aircraft engine cost data, human factors tools and various safety checklists and instructions. A number of full text papers are available covering topics such as stresses and strains on aircraft, helicopter dynamic rollover, and a series of visual examples of various structural failure modes. Current research areas are described and there are many links to other aviation safety related sites.

Unsteady Aerodynamics of Rotorcraft at Low Advance Ratios in Ground Effect

This is the full text of a Georgia Institute of Technology, Department of Aerospace Engineering PhD thesis by Balakrishnan Ganesh, dated April 2006. The aerodynamic characteristics of rotorcraft flying at low speed close to the ground are investigated. This will help better understand and quantify the flowfield structures and unsteadiness associated with various in ground effect flight conditions. This study aims to separate out the various phenomena according to their causal factors. Experimental investigations first involved flow visualization, which helped in identifying the various flight regimes and in getting an approximate estimate of the unsteadiness. The problem was divided into its unsteady and quasi-steady aspects. Hotwire measurements were performed and the unsteadiness in the flow structure was quantified. It was found that there were long time scale and fluctuations in the upwind side of the rotor disk, with significant changes in the in and flow. On the quasi-steady side, the fuselage loads for two fuselage cross-sectional shapes were investigated both in and out of ground effect. The fuselage cross-section shape had a significant effect on the loads felt by the fuselage in ground effect. The power required for the experimental configuration was measured to provide a basis for comparison. Finally, the flowfield around the ground vortex was quantified, and the structure of the ground vortex was investigated using Particle Image Velocimetry. It was found that tip vorticity was ingested by the ground vortex and that the strength of the ground vortex was considerably more than the tip vortex. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of this thesis is available in PDF format via the Georgia Institute of Technology Institutional Repository, SMARTech.

Vertical Envelopment and the Future Transport Rotorcraft : Operational Considerations for the Objective Force

This technical report (MR-1713-A) was published by The RAND Corporation in 2003 and was written by Jon G. Grossman, David Rubenson, William Sollfrey and Brett Steele. The Future Transport Rotorcraft (FTR) is a proposed heavy-lift helicopter capable of transporting the Army's Future Combat System (FCS) family of combat vehicles. The authors review RAND Arroyo Center's analysis of the engineering, operational, and survivability risks and uncertainties associated with the FTR. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Vertical Reference : Your Online Helicopter Resource

Created and designed by a helicopter pilot this website aims to help all of members of the helicopter world through the professional exchange of information in all aspects of the helicopter industry. The site provides information ranging from learning to fly through to job vacancies, photo galleries (to which you can add photos), industry news, helicopter links and government links. Services are also provides such as a forum and chat, email, online store and free downloads.

Visualisation of Offshore Gas Turbine Gas Plumes

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Paper 2007/02 dated October 2007. Final summary report on research conducted for CAA and HSE by BMT Fluid Mechanics Ltd and QinetiQ Pyestock on making plumes emitted by gas turbines installed on offshore oil and gas platforms visible to pilots of approaching helicopters. The work comprised a feasibility study, an onshore trial, an environmental impact study associated with the use of diesel as the smoke producing agent, a series of small-scale laboratory trials of the use of glycerol as the smoke producing agent, and an analysis of helicopter flight data from Bristow Helicopters' Helicopter Operations Monitoring Programme (HOMP) to establish the nature and extent of turbine plume encounters. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Westland Helicopters Limited

Westland Helicopters is an AugustaWestland Company, and is the second largest helicopter company in the world. The product range includes EH101 (civil, naval, search and rescue, and utility), Super Lynx and Battlefield Lynx, and WAH-64 Apache. The site has technical specifications, customer support details and pictures, plus details of upgrades and modifications. There is also information about the latest press releases and careers with GKN Westland. There is also a news archive, picture gallery, history of the company and a paper on the principles of Rotary Flight available.

World Air Games 2001

This is the official web site of the World Air Games 2001 (WAG 2001), which were held in Southern Spain, between June 23rd and July 1, 2001. Information is presented on each of the 10 sports represented at the games (ballooning, general aviation, gliding, hang gliding, paragliding, glider aerobatics, microlights, parachuting, helicopters and powered aerobatics). A final medal table is also included. There are also sections of the site for results, news, events calender, and online shopping.

World Aviation and Space Records

This pages are part of the web site of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which certifies and register aeronautical records. The lists of world records are presented in the following categories: Class A - Free Balloons; Class B - Airships; Class C - Aeroplanes; Class D - Gliders and Motor Gliders; Class E - Rotocraft; Class F - Aeromodeling; Class G - Parachuting; Class H - Vertical Take-off and Landing Aeroplanes; Class I - Human Powered Aircraft; Class K - Spacecraft; Class M - Tilt-Wing/Tilt Engine Aircraft; Class N - Short-Takeoff and Landing (STOL) Aeroplanes; Class O - Hang Gliding and Paragliding; Class P - Aerospacecraft; Class R - Microlight; Class S - Space Models; and Class U - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The site also provides a check list for setting an aviation world record and a standard preliminary claim form for downloading.

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