NOTE: this position has been filled

Host institution: Delft University of Technology TUD (The Netherlands). The ESR will work with TUD and POLITECHNICO DI MILANO (Italy) for obtaining a dual doctoral diploma degree.

Supervisors: TUD: Dr. Marilena Pavel, Dr. René van Paassen, Prof. Max Mulder and POLIMI: Dr. Giuseppe Quaranta & Prof. Pierangelo Masarati

Objectives: The handling qualities (HQs) of helicopters have been a subject of considerable interest and concern for safety of piloted flights. “Handling qualities” represent the integrated value of helicopter stability (or instability) in flight, helicopter controllability and pilot’s ability to maneuver the helicopter. The current practice of assessing helicopter HQs still reveals significant gaps in its criteria. The main objective of this project is the improvement of helicopter HQs criteria by developing novel multidisciplinary performance -vibratory HQs criteria capable of quantifying the effects of vibratory loads on HQs, pilot workload and vehicle automated system. This will ensure the understanding of future ever-extended helicopter flight envelopes, demanding man oeuvres that impose heavy vibrations on both structure and pilot. For this project simulation models, missions and environments will be developed and assessed in a multidisciplinary manner in the flight simulators available to the NITROS project. The ESR will need to 1) Understand how pilot decisions are influenced by structural loads and vibrations AND 2) Perform parallel structural load alleviation & performance enhancement.

Expected results: Detailed helicopter handling qualities analysis giving a consistent, complementary view on helicopter performance, vibratory loading and pilot ability to control the helicopter in a wide range of operation conditions.

See also the NITROS website