National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

COMPOSITE STRUCTURES H v F 

– 1970s-Today 

NASA STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS (NASTRAN) H v F 

– 1960s-Today 

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD) H v F 

– 1970s-Today 

CRASHWORTHINESS H v F 

– 1970s-Today 

H Applies also to commercial aircraft 

v Applies also to military aircraft

 F Applies also to general aviation aircraft 

3 

6 

1 2 

NASA AERONAUTICS RESEARCH ONBOARD 

DECADES OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO ROTORCRAFT AVIATION 

RESEARCH AIRCRAFT/WIND TUNNELS/SIMULATORS 

– 1970s-Today 

10 

GLASS COCKPIT H v F 

– 1970s-1980s 

7 

ROTOR RESEARCH PROGRAM 

– 1950s-1990s 

9 

DIGITAL FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM 

– 1970s-1980s 

8 

AIR LOADS DATABASE 

– 1980s-Today 

11 

DRIVE TRAIN/GEARBOX 

– 1970s-Today 

4 

PROPULSION 

– 1980s-Today 

5 

www.nasa.gov 
 

 

 

1. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) 

Starting in the 1970s, NASA began developing sophisticated computer 

codes that could accurately predict the flow of fluids, such as the 

flow of air over an aircraft’s wing, fuel through a space shuttle’s main 

engine, or the complex interactions between a rotorcraft’s main rotor 

blades, fuselage and its tail rotor. 

Those ideas and codes became CFD, which today is considered a 

vital tool for the study of fluid dynamics and the development of new 

aircraft. CFD greatly reduces the time and cost required for designing 

and testing nearly any type of aircraft. 

2. NASA Structural Analysis (NASTRAN) 

In the 1960s, NASA partnered with industry to develop a common 

generic software program that engineers could use to model and 

analyze different aerospace structures, including any kind of spacecraft or aircraft. Today, NASTRAN is an “industry-standard” tool for 

computer-aided engineering of all types of structures. 

3. Composite Structures 

NASA first partnered with industry during the 1970s to conduct 

research on how to develop high-strength, nonmetallic materials that 

could replace heavier metals on aircraft. Gradually, composite materials have replaced metals in helicopter fuselages and rotor blades, and 

have become critical for reducing the weight of vertical-flight vehicles. 

NASA research also identified new ways to detect fuselage damage. 

4. Drive Train/Gearbox 

During the 1970s, NASA and the U.S. Army discovered the benefits of 

new transmission designs, and developed new advanced transmission 

gears and cooling methods. Today, the research partnership is working 

to develop new gears with higher strength and longer life, and new 

methods to monitor transmission health. 

5. Propulsion 

During the 1980s, the NASA/U.S. Army partnership conducted research to increase understanding of high-altitude and high-load engine 

operations. Today, researchers use new helicopter engine computer 

simulations and new materials to help improve engine fuel efficiency. 

6. Crashworthiness 

From the 1970s through today, NASA has used its special gantry/ 

swing cable facility adapted from the Apollo program to test the performance and durability of rotorcraft fuselage and components. The 

vertical drop tests or horizontal swing tests measure the survivability 

potential for occupants, structures and new composite materials. 

7. Glass Cockpit 

During the 1970s and 1980s, NASA created and tested the concept 

of an advanced cockpit configuration that replaced dial and gauge 

instruments with flat panel digital displays. The digital displays presented information more efficiently and provided the flight crew with 

a more integrated, easily understood picture of the vehicle situation. 

Glass cockpits are particularly valuable in rotorcraft for low-altitude, 

NAP-of-the-Earth (“near as possible”) flight in bad weather. 

8. Digital Flight Control System 

During the 1970s and 1980s, NASA designed and flew the world’s 

first automatic digital flight guidance system for rotorcraft called “V/ 

STOLAND” (Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing). The unique autopilot system permitted rotorcraft to follow a complex, helical flight 

profile in the airport terminal area to an automatic landing. 

9. Rotor Research Program 

Starting in the 1950s, NASA and the U.S. Army tested multiple modern 

rotors in flight and in NASA wind tunnels to evaluate performance. The 

tests generated data on rotor blade motion, loads, maneuvers and 

ground acoustics that was used to improve rotorcraft design. 

Today, NASA researchers are exploring active control rotors that can 

improve safety and efficiency. 

10. Research Aircraft/Wind Tunnels/Simulators 

During the 1970s as NASA’s research relationship with the U.S. Army 

intensified, NASA used a small fleet of helicopters including a UH-60 

Black Hawk and a Bell AH-1G White Cobra to conduct rotor experiments and operational studies. Today, NASA wind tunnels are used to 

test rotorcraft aerodynamics and to validate new solutions for noise 

and vibration reduction. NASA simulators are also used to evaluate 

new vehicles and flight operations. 

11. Air Loads Database 

During the 1980s, NASA devised a unique method to capture data 

from a highly-instrumented rotor system during flight tests. The 

resulting database was used to refine rotorcraft designs—mainly the 

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter—and is still used today to better predict 

structural responses in performance, efficiency, airflows, vibration and 

noise.

www.aeronautics.nasa.gov 

NL-2008-12-011-HQ