Flight characteristics (handling qualities) and flight mechanics
The Institute of Flight Systems focuses its research on investigating the flight mechanics of different aircraft. Even though fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft are fundamentally different, they rely on the same physical principles, which result in a distinct flight characteristics and flight performance for both types.
These can be used to assess the suitability of innovative aircraft configurations for the required mission at the design stage. However, a mere consideration of key parameters is not sufficient to evaluate an aircraft holistically, as the interaction of these highly complex systems with a human being - the pilot, bring about additional system dynamics. The resulting characteristics of the combined overall system of pilot and aircraft - significantly influenced by the flight control system - are then referred to as handling qualities. These can be used to demonstrate that the entire system is suitable for its intended purpose. Research on this topic is also being conducted in the various departments of the institute using the existing simulators and DLR’s research aircraft fleet.