ITPS Students Fly Rotary Wing VSS aircraft at NRC

From Theory to Variable Stability Flight Testing

ITPS rotary wing students recently travelled to the National Research Council Canada’s Aerospace Flight Research Laboratory in Ottawa for a specialized evaluation exercise using the NRC’s Variable Stability System research helicopters. The VSS enables the simulation of a wide range of flying qualities and flight control characteristics in real time, allowing students to experience multiple helicopter configurations during a single flight.

Exposure to different aircraft, technologies, and flight test organizations is an essential part of developing well-rounded test pilots and flight test engineers. Each evaluation strengthens the technical judgement, disciplined observation, collaboration, and safety-focused decision-making required for complex flight test programs.

Thank you to the NRC team for sharing their expertise and supporting the next generation of flight test professionals.