Development of UH-72A Simulator Model in Support of ADS-33 Training

The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) qualifies engineering test pilots and flight test engineers for the Department of Defense (DoD) and foreign militaries. The school operates UH-72A and UH-60L aircraft as core rotary wing platforms used for airborne instruction in performance, flying qualities (FQ) and advanced flight control systems flight testing. The stability and control portion of the syllabus teaches both time and frequency domain flight test techniques in the evaluation of aircraft handling qualities (HQ); however, only classic time domain techniques have been instructed in the aircraft to support the curriculum. As frequency domain testing has become common practice across the DoD and within industry, the importance of providing entry level instruction in those flight test techniques cannot be overstated. Having students conduct many of the frequency domain test techniques in the aircraft is not practical. Providing adequate control measures such as real-time data monitoring and instructor pilot involvement on each flight to ensure safe execution would place an unrealistic burden on the USNTPS staff and adversely impact the airworthiness of the school’s aircraft. The USNTPS simulation laboratory recently received a high fidelity UH-60 flight dynamics simulation model enabling the instruction of frequency domain flight test techniques and the collection of predictive HQ data as defined within the ADS-33E-PRF, Handling Qualities Requirements for Military Rotorcraft. These data are used to support assigned HQ flights flown on Naval Test Wing Atlantic’s ADS-33 Mission Task Element course. Conducting systems identification testing and the subsequent development of a high fidelity UH-72A flight dynamics simulation model allows the execution of the entire Low Airspeed FQ exercise across both core platforms. Simulator-based predictive HQ data are now utilized in support of assigned HQ flights in the respective aircraft. This paper covers the development of the UH-72A simulation model, flight test efforts supporting that development and the successful integration of the model as a means to collect predictive HQ data in support of the Low Airspeed FQ exercise at the USNTPS.