VTOL Dynamics in the AHS/VFS Decennial Aeromechanics Conferences, 1974‐2014

The AHS/VFS Decennial Specialistsâ–™ Conferences on Aeromechanics have provided the rotorcraft community with periodic benchmarks of the state of aeromechanics research. At its launch in 1974, there was an acknowledgment that the government and industry required an improved collaboration of rotorcraft dynamics experts to overcome current and future challenges. The focus gradually shifted from simply dynamics to aeromechanics, a more all-encompassing term that includes structural dynamics, aerodynamics, modeling and simulation, vibration, test and evaluation, controls, and many other technical areas. This paper offers a retrospective look at some of pivotal works from the first five decennial conferences that have shaped the industry, some trends observed in each discipline, and some reflections on the future of aeromechanics research.