DLR / ONERA-Team Award für die Umsetzung der wissenschaftlich-technischen Kooperation DLR / ONERA
auf dem Hubschrauber-Sektor

Jean-Jacques PHILIPPE (ONERA), Bernd GMELIN (DLR)

Despite many promising efforts and advancements in the past years the aerospace research in Europe is still fragmented in national units and stays behind the merging industrial movement. This situation, on the one side limits the effective use of the combined resources available for aerospace research, on the other side the different cultural backgrounds in the European nations and the existing competition between the scientists create precious ideas and unique solutions beneficial to the quality of the final products. Nevertheless it is common understanding that international co-ordination, co-operation and finally integration in the field of aerospace research will contribute to better solve the existing technical and economical problems, and to strengthen the position of the world-wide aerospace community.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French Aerospace Research Establishment (ONERA) decided for a close partnership in rotorcraft related research, and consequently an “Agreement on a DLR-ONERA Partnership in Rotorcraft Research” was signed on 2 December 1998 by the ONERA President and the DLR Chairman of the Board of Directors. Already in 1992 the “ONERA/DLR Mutual Commitment on Co-ordinated Aeronautical Research” was signed together with the Technical Annex No. 1 on Rotorcraft Research. Since that time an increasing number of cooperative tasks was started including bi- and multilateral activities. This positive development was strongly supported by (1) the official French-German co-ordination in helicopter research and technology as formulated in the Common Declaration (1995) by the Ministries and Official Services of both countries, (2) the establishment of the French/German company Eurocopter (1992), and (3) the decisions for the joint military helicopter projects Tiger and NH90. 

On this background Jean-Jacques PHILIPPE and Bernd GMELIN in the past years worked for the integration of all ONERA and DLR rotorcraft activities.

The decision for a close partnership in rotorcraft related research was driven by the following general objectives:

·      To advance and promote the intended and progressive integration of European research in the field of aeronautics. This bi-lateral agreement on a specific subject was considered to be a first step to further integrate the DLR and ONERA activities in other technical areas. In addition this partnership is intended to be open, at least in specific areas, for other European research establishments, as anticipated in the EREA agreement.

·     Considering the European environment of aeronautical research it is the common interest of both, ONERA and DLR, to act as a single body and to speak with one voice in front of the public and private partners and customers for the common research products.

·      With respect to the common research activities it is the main objective to obtain the best efficiency at minimum cost by avoiding duplications but still allowing for a certain scientific competition, and by capitalizing on emerging synergy effects.

In pursuing these objectives the following principles have been strictly observed:

-     It is full intention of both partners to create a win-win situation with no one-sided and unfair shortcoming for one of the partners.

-     In general, the partnership is established on a 50% by 50% venture, applied to the input (resources) as well as to the output (reports, patents, publications).

-    The financial principles are established on a full cost basis of personnel, facilities and equipment for both, partners and customers.

-     The costs for the use of the facilities and equipment of each partner are based on a no-money-exchange policy and have to be incorporated in the common research programme.

-     All rotorcraft related activities within ONERA and DLR are planned in a common research programme, even if only one partner is contributing to a specific subject.

For realizing this project of the ONERA/DLR partnership the following approach was decided on:

-     Installation of a DLR/ONERA management organization in order to co-ordinate, integrate, and market all rotorcraft related research activities of both establishments.

-     The new organization works programme/project-oriented with the main objective to manage vehicle-oriented multidisciplinary projects and tasks.

-     The execution of the research work remains in the DLR Institutes and the ONERA Departments involving the appropriate experts/scientists in the corresponding disciplines.

In Figure 1 the general management organization is shown. Two common groups on different levels have been formed, the Steering Committee at the level of the General Directors of ONERA and of the Executive Board of DLR, and the Permanent Common Management Team (PCMT). The PCMT is the acting management group, and was represented by Bernd GMELIN and Jean-Jacques PHILIPPE from the year 2000 up to 2005. Main activities of the PCMT include:

-     preparation of the common mid-term and yearly research programmes,

-     preparation of a joint business plan (programme, financial plan and time schedule),

-     technical and financial work sharing between the appropriate research teams,

-     controlling and reporting the research activities,

-     representing and marketing the research programmes in front of official organizations and industry.

The vehicle oriented multidisciplinary projects and tasks are defined in the so-called Research Concepts and are handled by research teams formed out of experts/scientists from the appropriate institutes and departments. The research teams are composed preferably as joint teams including ONERA and DLR team members, but also ONERA teams or DLR teams are possible, depending on the specific research tasks.

Fig. 2 shows the structure of the common rotorcraft research programme. The joint teams are managed by one project head, either from ONERA or DLR, with a deputy head from the other organization.

For the first time in 1999 the PCMT, together with experts and scientists of the DLR Institutes and the ONERA Departments, elaborated a DLR-ONERA Mid-term Rotorcraft Research Programme (1999 - 2003) and subsequently a 2000 Rotorcraft Research Programme. These programmes have been harmonized and thoroughly discussed within DLR and ONERA and with the official organizations and the industry. Each year these programmes are being updated and further improved with respect to the full integration of all rotorcraft related research at DLR and ONERA.

Actually the common research programmes, the mid-term and the yearly programme, consist of eight Research Concepts, as shown in Figure 3, representing a common yearly budget of about 20 Million Euros. Each research concept (except ‘The Specialized Military Rotorcraft’) is headed by two Research Concept Responsables, one from DLR and one from ONERA.

All rotorcraft related information and data available or being produced in this framework by DLR and ONERA are considered to be internal information and therefore open for use within DLR and ONERA, with the exception of information and data marked by the generating organization or by one external partner or customer as “limited distribution”. New rotorcraft related reports and documents are being produced in English language.

Finally, it is the firm intention of both partners and mentioned explicitly in the partnership agreement that this co-operation respects and considers other existing co-operations and partnerships of both organizations. In addition new co-operative agreements with other partners, preferably involving both, DLR and ONERA, are strongly promoted.

After working more than 6 years for the DLR/ONERA partnership in rotorcraft research both, Jean-Jacques PHILIPPE and Bernd GMELIN recently retired, and they hope that this exemplary research cooperation will continue to prosper and serve as a nucleus for the integration of aerospace research in Europe.