Helicopter Design (MCEN90049)

This course covers a diverse range of topics related to the operation and design of helicopters. Civilian and military operators are increasingly using helicopters for a variety of applications. In certain roles helicopters offer numerous advantages over fixed-wing aircraft by meeting the growing needs of multi-dimensional flight including hover. The unique roles and missions of helicopters introduce several design issues and challenges for the design engineer to address.

Helicopter design is governed by the role, missions, payload, mission systems (internal or external) and the flight profile. This requires an understanding of helicopter operations; of mission systems technologies to provide the mission capability; and of aerodynamics to provide the flight performance.

Through the subject, students will be able to transform helicopter system operational requirements to design requirements; and be able to apply helicopter conceptual design stages. As an exercise, the students will develop a conceptual design of a helicopter, based on the proposed role of the helicopter and mission requirements.