Development of a Shipboard Skid-equipped Rotary-wing Aircraft Manoeuvering and Securing Simulation Package

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0341.vid Helicopters have been leveraged to expand operational capabilities in many maritime applications such as naval intelligence, defence, and search and rescue. The proliferation of vertical-take-off unmanned aircraft systems (VTUAS) is further reshaping and broadening these maritime applications. Existing simulation capabilities for studying the dynamic interactions at the interface between aircraft and ship are not well suited to the operational constraints which VTUAS currently present. Their high thrust-to-weight ratio and typical stiff ‘skid-type’ landing gear constrain mechanical securing and traversing options. They also present more complex ship-helicopter interface behaviour compared to the conventional wheeled-landing gear helicopters widely deployed in maritime operations. The Skid-equipped Rotary-wing Aircraft Manoeuvring and Securing Simulation (SRAMSS) dynamic interface analysis package is tailored to skid-equipped, maritime-capable, rotary-wing aircraft. The package is capable of simulating the aircraft’s response to ship-deck interactions under varying deck motion, aerodynamic, and mechanical conditions. With the implemented models, SRAMSS distinguishes itself through its capability of simulating landing, securing, manoeuvring, touchdown, and take-off phases of flight.