Integrated Rotor-Flight Control System Optimization with Aeroelastic and Handling Qualities Constraints

The results are presented of a study concerning the integrated optimization of rotor and e ight control systems with simultaneousaeroelastic and handling qualitiesconstraints. Arepresentative subset of theADS-33C handling qualities specie cation isreformulated into inequality constraint form. A simplie ed design model isused, consisting of three rotor design variablesand e ve control system design variables foreach e ight condition. It isnot possible to satisfy theentireset ofaeroelasticand handlingqualitiesconstraintsusing justthethreerotordesignparametersof this study. If the design is optimized for just one e ight condition, optimizing simultaneously the rotor and the e ight control system leads to substantially better designs than by sequentially optimizing the rotor e rst and the e ight control system next. Thedesignsobtained using thetwo optimization strategies arequite different, cone rming that rotor and e ight control systems are strongly coupled.