Aircraft Ditching by Simulation: A Contribution to Support Virtual Analysis Using a Meshfree Pointset Method

The investigation of the emergency situation of an aircraft landing on water is mandatory for the certification of novel aircraft. In this context, computer-aided methods are becoming more relevant to support physical testing and to extend the analysis to further impact conditions. In this work, the meshless Lagrangian Finite Pointset Method was integrated into an aircraft pre-design process chain and used for the simulation of the interaction between the water and the structure during ditching. To assess the applicability of the method, results from simulations were compared with experimental data from water impact tests of curved panels and scaled models. In addition, the method was implemented in ditching simulations using a generic mid-range aircraft model. Results are analyzed in terms of accuracy, flexibility, and performance.