Simplified mechanical model of helicopter crashworthiness design

Based on the study of the mechanical behavior of helicopter structures, including both experiment and FEM analysis, a simplified mechanical model for helicopter crash-worthiness design, which can be used to predict the maximum impact force in the crash procedure and design some energy-absorption components, is proposed. The dynamic response of a helicopter with the initial speed of 10.2 m/s vertically impinging at the ground is calculated. The ratio of the dissipated energy absorbed by the landing gear to the total input energy and the kinetic energy decreasing curve of the fuselage during the impact process are obtained. The comparison between the theoretical results and FEM results shows that they are in the reasonable agreement.