The paper deals with the assessment of cost effective numerical methodologies for the prediction of full-scale composite helicopter crashworthiness. This cooperative work, achieved by ONERA ― French aerospace research establishment -, EUROCOPTER ― helicopter manufacturer - and MECALOG/EUROSIM - developer of the Finite Element crash code RADIOSS - consisted in developing the Finite Element model of the TIGER helicopter central structure, including the main rotor mass, the weapon supporting wings, the under-floor energy absorption components and the fuel tanks, to simulate its drop test and to validate the modeling methodologies by comparing numerical results to experimental data coming from a crash test previously conducted on the modeled structure. Three models were elaborated depending on how fuel masses were modeled and interacted with the structure, and were run on multi-processors computers. Calculations proved to offer satisfactory correlation with experimental data, in terms of rupture modes, fuel pressures or acceleration levels.
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