Performance and workload analysis of in-flight helicopter missions

Abstract

The study described in this report was aimed at assessing the potentials of the optimal control model structure to predict the important characteristics of realistic operational helicopter missions. The theoretical and experimental results indicate that the optimal control model succesfully predicts the best attainable (rather than the average) performance of a group of well-trained, highly motivated subjects. Furthermore, the model allows a description of inter-subject variability. The control effort model predictions have been supported by subjective ratings. The model seems to provide a meaningful representation of pilot workload involved in complex control tasks.