Impact of pilotsʹ biodynamic feedthrough on rotorcraft by robust stability

The coupling of rotorcraft dynamics with the dynamics of one of the main systems devoted to its control, the pilot, may lead to several peculiar phenomena, known as Rotorcraft–Pilot Couplings (RPCs), all characterized by an abnormal behavior that may jeopardize flight safety. Among these phenomena, there is a special class of couplings which is dominated by the biodynamic behavior of the pilotʹs limbs that close the loop between the vibrations and the control inceptors in the cockpit. Leveraging robust stability analysis, the inherently uncertain pilot biodynamics can be treated as the uncertain portion of a feedback system, making analytical, numerical or graphical determination of proneness to RPC possible by comparing robust stability margins of helicopter models with experimental Biodynamic Feedthrough (BDFT) data. The application of the proposed approach to collective bounce is exemplified using simple analytical helicopter and pilot models. The approach is also applied to detailed helicopter models and experimental BDFT measurement data.