Helicopter pad?

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by RDB, Apr 10, 2006.

  1. RDB
    Joined: May 2004
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    Location: VAN, CAN

    RDB Junior Member

    Has anyone had any experience designing a helicopter pad? Specifically around impact loads?
     
  2. SailDesign
    Joined: Jan 2003
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    Location: Jamestown, RI, USA

    SailDesign Old Phart! Stay upwind..

    I would be AMAZED if there were no published specs for this - consider looking at ABS/Lloyds/DNV etc. for offshore oil rigs, etc.
    Steve
     
  3. bhnautika
    Joined: Feb 2006
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    Location: australia

    bhnautika Senior Member

    RDB “Boat international” magazine for march 2006 has an article on helicopters and pads, its not a tech article but it does have weights and rotor radii’s of a lot of helicopters.
     

  4. marshmat
    Joined: Apr 2005
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    Location: Ontario

    marshmat Senior Member

    RDB, I think our own navy has perhaps the world's most thorough experience with impact loads on helicopter pads! ;)
    In general, helicopters tend to be pretty light- but when they come down quick, all that weight (and downward momentum) is applied on a very small landing gear area. The biggest thing with a helipad is getting enough clearance around it to safely bring the chopper in; only a very skilled pilot can safely land on a pad where side clearance is less than twice the rotor diameter. Keep big safety factors in the pad structure itself, and build the structures around it strong enough to handle a rotor failure. I'm afraid I don't have any quantitative values for this; Steve's suggestion to look at oil-rig scantlings is probably a good starting point.
     
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