Case Study – Geometry Capture of Rotary Wing Aircraft

Customer: QinetiQ

Case Overview

A range of rotary wing aircraft were to be modelled in dynamic simulation software in order to assess and improve occupant safety. A lack of availability of CAD data plus limited access prompted requirement for an efficient method of capturing the geometry quickly and accurately.

Objective

The main objective was to produce 3D models of the aircraft interiors, accurate to within 4mm, and including representations of any surface/object that the occupants could feasibly make contact with during a crash scenario.

Solution/Methodology

Each aircraft was laser scanned using our Leica HDS equipment. Despite access being restricted to a maximum of just one day per aircraft, our scanning team was able to capture the interiors to and beyond the required level of detail.

As an added benefit to the customer, we were also able to capture the exterior surfaces in all cases.

The models such as that shown above are a combination of 3d CAD entities (interior) and rapid polygonal mesh surfacing (exterior) using specialised software. In order to achieve the final deliverable of the base simulation models, these were imported into the Madymo environment and converted accordingly to numerically efficient multibody surfaces, before adding the Hybrid III test dummy models in order to evaluate the various restraint systems against the unique equipment specification for each cockpit.

Conclusion

By utilising our laser scanning equipment, along with our highly developed methodologies for data acquisition and processing, Advanced Simtech was able to deliver a time and cost effective solution for providing 3d models of the subject aircraft with a level of quality which met and exceeded the customer’s expectations.