Automatic Landing Detection of Helicopters Equipped with Landing Skid

Abstract

A major characteristic of helicopters is their vertical takeoff and landing ability. To improve the assistance for helicopter pilots for these manoeuvres especially in poor visibility, landing is detected and the event is dis-played. In this paper, automatic landing detection refers to the event that touchdown of a helicopter is achieved. To realise automatic landing detection, the ground contact of the landing skid has to be detected reliably. Here, DLR’s Flying Helicopter Simulator FHS is used as testbed. The deformation of the landing skid of the FHS can be measured by means of strain gauges. Based on flight tests, a stochastic model of the measured strain gauge signals is derived and based on that an algorithm for landing detection is designed. The parameters of the algorithm are adjusted by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. The determined parameter set is then used in flight tests where the computed landing state of each edge of the landing skid is displayed to the pilot. Based on several landings on asphalt and on grass the landing detection is rated by helicopter pilots to be helpful.