This article first appeared in the December 1971 Flight Test News.
Contributed by R. L. Wernecke NATC Patuxent River
The general requirements for helicopter flying and ground handling qualities, MIL-H-8501A, will be revised. A team composed of Army Aviation Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, and Pacer Systems, Inc. will update the 1961 specification to reflect current requirements and capabilities. Publication date for the revised document is September 1972.
The joint group has already met and established basic philosophies. The current effort will be an interim specification to bridge the gap between the current MIL-H-8501A and the final M-H-8501C version. Compound helicopters (such as the AH-56, S-67, etc.) will not be addressed. The format will be based largely upon the fixed wing 8785B specification. Pacer Systems will be utilized to accomplish a literature search, access format, and play the “Devil’s Advocate” role. The starting point for rewrite will be the unpublished Army version of MIL-H-8501B.
The U. S. Air Force has decided to apply its VTOL/STOL specification (83300) to helicopters, and is not participating in this project.
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