Capturing requirements for tiltrotor handling qualities – case studies in virtual engineering

Abstract

Handling qualities are expressed as requirements at the interface of the pilot and the machine. In this way, the key functionality questions facing the design engineer are seen from the perspective of the interaction of the human pilot with the aircraft system and the environment in which it operates. In this paper, the author takes a ‘virtual engineering’ approach to handling qualities, emphasising the importance of conducting ‘requirements capture’ and preliminary design as an iterative process. When stretched capabilities are required, this approach minimises the risk to finding appropriate technology solutions, through developing explicit relationships between capability and design parameters, thus facilitating fully informed trade studies and predictions. Case studies from the development of a civil tiltrotor aircraft are presented that show how the difficult challenges facing the designer first need to be structured in terms of HQ predictions and assignments. This then provides the basis on which handling qualities improvements can be constructed within the multidisciplinary context of rotorcraft engineering.