Helicopter Ditching According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency CS-29

This paper outlines the methodology and results of scale-model tests of a helicopter ditching maneuver. The experimental campaign aims to support the study and certification of helicopters for maritime operations, in accordance with the requirements set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency Certification Specifications for Large Rotorcraft (CS-29). The experiments, carried out by the Institute of Marine Engineering (National Research Council-Institute of Marine Engineering), required the development of a custom experimental setup to ensure the compliance of the tests with predefined parameters, ensuring the repeatability, accuracy, and scalability of the results. This type of experiment is not typically undertaken by a hydrodynamic model testing institution, thus introducing innovative elements to the testing approach and contributing to advancements in testing methodologies. The tests were conducted in both calm-water and regular-wave conditions, the latter with the primary objective of synchronizing the model’s free fall with the wave phase to ensure accurate water entry at specific locations along the regular-wave profile, thereby mimicking a real-world rough-sea scenario. This paper details the experimental design and setup, describes the helicopter scale model, and provides an overview of the results.