Theory, testing and analysis of shipboard airwake for rotary wing aircraft interface applications

This research is intended to be a summary and sanity check for the diversified efforts taking place to advance the fields of ship airwake analysis. The target audience includes the managers and operators who will reap the benefits of the advancements in these fields. Without appreciation for the complexity this highly technical science and practical understanding for the immense advantages it has to offer, those of us elevated from cyclic and collective operators to money managers will fail to properly support the critical military phases of research. Quantum leaps have taken place in associated technologies and hardware capabilities. The scope of embarked helicopter operational capabilities is similarly expanding and advancing. The primary dangers and limitations of these operations continue to revolve around the nearwake wind effects as they interface with the aerodynamic phenomena associated with rotary wing airframe configurations. Dynamic Interface is the field of technical evaluation that encompasses analysis of these effects and their interactions. It directly feeds into the field of Simulation, which then feeds back into theory and design. The author seeks to contribute the operator perspective to methods of analysis and practical applications while describing evolution and current status of associated technologies. Conclusions and recommendations are also made on the future of the field.