Helicopter Flight Dynamics, 3rd Edition

1Introduction

The DRA research Lynx ALYCAT (Aeromechanics LYnx Control and Agility Testbed) shown flying by the large motion system of the DRA advanced flight simulator (Photograph courtesy of Simon Pighills)

The underlying premise of this book is that flight dynamics and control is a central discipline, at the heart of aeronautics, linking the aerodynamic and structural sciences with the applied technologies of systems and avionics and, above all, with the pilot. Flight dynamics engineers need to have breadth and depth in their domain of interest, and often hold a special responsibility in design and research departments. It is asserted that more than any other aerospace discipline, flight dynamics offers a viewpoint on, and is connected to, the key rotorcraft attributes and technologies – from the detailed fluid dynamics associated with the interaction of the main rotor wake with the empennage, to the servo‐aeroelastic couplings between the rotor and control system, through to the evaluation of enhanced safety, operational advantage, and mission effectiveness of good flying qualities. It is further asserted that the multidisciplinary nature of rotorcraft flight dynamics places it in a unique position to hold the key to concurrency in requirements capture and design, i.e. the ability to optimise under the influence of multiple constraints.

In the author's view, the role of the ...