full scale ditching tests of an a109 helicopter fuselage at cira

XX Congresso Nazionale AIDAA – Milano, 2009
FULL SCALE DITCHING TESTS OF AN A109 HELICOPTER FUSELAGE AT CIRA
AEROSPACE STRUCTURE IMPACT LABORATORY
M. Ignarra1 and U. Mercurio2
1. Laboratorio di Impatto di Strutture Aerospaziali – CIRA, Via Maiorise, 81043 – Capua (CE)
[email protected]
2. Laboratorio di Impatto di Strutture Aerospaziali – CIRA, Via Maiorise, 81043 – Capua (CE)
[email protected]
Abstract (Topic: Structures)
The validation of numerical simulations models of ditching conditions for an helicopter is a difficult
activity in particular if it is based on experimental data coming from tests on scaled models. Generally these
results are not able to catch the contribution of the real full scale structure in the absorption of the impact
energy.
At this purpose an experimental research activity was performed at CIRA in cooperation with
AgustaWestland to develop an experimental database based on full scale ditching tests. A fuselage of an
A109 helicopter was used in the tests. The test article was provided with several accelerometers, pressure
sensors and strain gauges installed on board to acquire signals useful to validate the numerical simulations.
This work describes the experimental activities performed at Aerospace Structures Impact Laboratory of
CIRA.