Innovative helicopter testing tech developed here for US military

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE scientists are using a retired US Navy Seahawk helicopter to develop fatigue testing technologies, which could transform how military helicopters are managed.

The program is aiming to reduce maintenance costs and improve aircraft availability and the companies involved include Nova Systems, Jack Thompson Engineering, Fortburn and Advanced VTOL.

The US Navy has supplied one of their aircraft for the research, and has expressed interest in implementing full-scale fatigue testing of their entire fleet of Romeo Seahawk helicopters. 

The new technologies could have significant benefits for both military and civilian helicopter operators.

The Defence scientists and engineers are developing a full-scale, structural fatigue test rig that can accurately replicate the loads and forces experienced by a helicopter in flight.

Full-scale fatigue tests are routinely conducted for fixed-wing aircraft, but until now the complex, high-frequency flight loading of helicopters has been particularly challenging to replicate in the laboratory.

“Instead, helicopters are certified using conservative test methods that do not always fully predict the possibility of fleet damage,” Defence Industry Minister Christoper Pyne said. Defence was investing $5 million over the next five years in the project and working in collaboration with industry and the US Navy.

he trial program, including the building of the innovative test rig and test demonstration, commenced late last year and will continue until 2022.

“The program aims not only to develop the capability to fully test and validate helicopter structures, but also to deliver innovations that may be applied to other areas such as the fatigue testing of fixed-wing aircraft,” Mr Pyne said.

“If successful, the technology could represent a considerable commercial opportunity for the defence industry in Australia.”

www.defence.gov.au

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