An overview of the major issues to be addressed for widespread commercial introduction and use of aviation biofuels is presented in this paper. These include the progress toward standards and approvals, bio-feedstock supply and sustainability, conversion routes to suitable fuel molecules, and policy and regulation considerations to create the necessary market and investment environment. It has been shown that while technical standards are now largely in place, biojet faces competition from biodiesel markets for feedstock, and existing sources of vegetable oil face sustainability challenges for greater supply. Other conversion routes exist that can use more sustainable feedstock, but they are capital intensive and will require a high fuel price to support investment. Policy approaches to cover the expected price premium above fossil fuel may also face political difficulties.

Analytical methodology is presented to conduct dynamical assembly of simple low order nonlinear responses for system synthesis and prediction using Volterra theory. The procedure is set forth generically and then applied to several atmospheric flight examples. A two-term truncated Volterra series, which is enough to capture the quadratic and bilinear nonlinearities, is developed for first and second order generalised nonlinear single degree of freedom systems. The resultant models are given in the form of first and second kernels. A parametric study of the influence of each linear and nonlinear term on kernel structures is investigated. A step input is then employed to quantify and qualify the nonlinear response characteristics. Uniaxial surge and pitch motions are presented as examples of the low order flight dynamic systems. These examples show the ability of the proposed analytical Volterra-based models to predict, understand, and analyse the nonlinear aircraft behaviour beyond that attainable by linear-based models. The proposed analytical Volterra-based model offers an efficient nonlinear preliminary design tool in qualifying the aircraft responses before computer simulation is available or invoked.

This paper presents highlights from research conducted at the University of Liverpool to determine suitable fidelity criteria and guidelines for the modelling and simulation of the helicopter-ship dynamic interface environment. The paper begins by describing the characteristics of the helicopter-ship dynamic interface, explaining the motivation behind the research and reviewing the state-of-the-art in dynamic interface simulation. The development of a dynamic interface research environment based on an existing research simulator operated by the University of Liverpool is then described, before key results from a number of piloted simulation experiments are presented. These experiments were specifically designed to address fidelity sensitivity issues, such as, are unsteady airwake models necessary, or can a steady airwake model induce appropriate levels of pilot workload? What influence does the modelled ship geometry, or choice of atmospheric wind conditions have on the airwake model and on pilot workload? Finally, the paper concludes by briefly describing the relevance of these research findings to current and future industry programmes.

In various studies involving subsonic transition cavity flows, terms like ‘transitional-open’ and ‘transitional-closed’ cavity flow regimes are used in the literature. However, the exact fluid dynamic criteria to distinguish them have not been firmly established. The present work attempts to clarify this. Experiments to measure static pressure and fluctuating pressure distribution in a rectangular cavity with length-to-depth (L/D) ratio of 3 to 20 were performed. Based on pressure measurements on the front, bottom and rear faces of the cavity, additional criteria are established to clearly distinguish the range of critical L/D (or (L/D)cri) where these different transitional cavity flow regimes occur. The present work ascertains that the (L/D)cri for open and transitional-open cavity flow is 6·0-6·5, for transitional-open and transitional-closed cavity flow is 9-10 and for transitional-closed and closed cavity flow is 14-15. Flow visualisation qualitatively supports the flow pattern in the different cavity flow regimes.

This note presents the experimental method and results from a series of desktop simulation tests designed to investigate the manual control characteristics of relatively inexperienced civil pilots; with an average age and experience of 24 years and 66 hours respectively. Increased encroachment into non-linear command gearing was found to make aggressive subjects resort to high levels of crossover regression. The combined effects of rate-limiting and non-linear command gearing were observed only for demanding tasks during which over-control was a typical feature.

Existing theories are reviewed and compared. From the Tangent Wedge formula a simple expression for the normal force on thin wings is derived and compared with some existing experimental data, which cover the whole supersonic-hypersonic range of Mach numbers.