Development and Validation of an On-Deck Helicopter Manoeuvring Simulation Phase I: Simulation Model

摘要

Shipboard aircraft handling equipment such as the In-dal Technologies Inc. (ITI) Aircraft/Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse (ASIST) system provides the capability to secure, straighten, and traverse helicopters on small ships in severe sea conditions. The usual process is to remotely align the aircraft with a deck-mounted track, then traverse it forward along the deck to the ship's hangar. Prior to launch, a similar process is performed in reverse. The helicopter/ship dynamic interface simulation Dynaface~(~R) [1] has been developed by ITI over the past 15 years to support the design of helicopter handling systems. While Dynaface~(~R) is effective for analyzing the touchdown transient and on-deck securing phases of shipboard operation, it does not currently address the transient motions during aircraft straightening and traversing. A simulation capable of modelling these aspects of the dynamic interface will provide the first steps towards a more efficient and economical training method for ASIST operators and help in the design of future handling systems, which includes the possibility of an automated system for straightening and traversing. Initially the simulation will be used for investigating aircraft on-deck handling. In the future, the handling simulation will be interfaced with Dynaface~(~R) to provide comprehensive analysis capability of all on-deck operations. The study of this aspect of dynamic interface analysis has been structured as a two-phase project: the development and validation of a two-dimensional planar manoeuvring simulation model and the development of a dynamic interface analysis experimental motion platform and scaled helicopter model. This paper describes the work carried out for the first phase, which was to develop an accurate planar model of shipboard helicopter handling using the ASIST system with attention primarily focussed on tire/deck interaction and the ASIST manoeuvring control system. The accompanying paper [2] focuses on the experimental motion facility.