Procedural guide for modeling and analyzing the flight dynamics of the SH-60B helicopter using Flightlab

Abstract

This thesis uses Flightlab to model and analyze the flight dynamics of the SH-6OB Seahawk helicopter. Flightlab runs on computers utilizing the UNIX operating system and is used for design, analysis and testing of an aircraft using non-linear modeling techniques. It is capable of modeling conventional main rotor-tail rotor and tandem rotor helicopters and tilt rotor aircraft. A procedural guide for modeling and analyzing a single main rotor helicopter is presented using the SH-60B. The non-linear response from lateral and longitudinal cyclic, main rotor collective and tail rotor collective inputs are presented. Flightlab is also capable of reducing the non-linear model to a linear model. The linear and non-linear models are then compared. The purpose of this thesis is to present a guide for using Flightlab to model and analyze an existing helicopter design, and also to have in place a well tested model to be used for further research.