A voluntary/involuntary pilot model for helicopter flight dynamics and aeroservoelasticity

This work presents the integration of detailed models of a pilot controlling an helicopter along the heave axis through the collective control inceptor. The action on the control inceptor is produced through a biomechanical model of the pilot’s limbs, by commanding the activation of the related muscle bundles. Such activation, in turn is determined by defining the muscle elongations required to move the control inceptor in order to obtain the control of the vehicle according to a high-level model of the voluntary action of the pilot acting as a regulator for the vehicle. The biomechanical model of the pilot’s limbs and the aeromechanical model of the helicopter are implemented in a general-purpose multibody simulation environment. The helicopter model, the biomechanical model of the pilot’s limbs, the cognitive model of the pilot and their integration are discussed. The integrated model is applied to the simulation of simple, yet representative mission task elements.