MODULE CODE: 3223

ROTORCRAFT AEROMECHANICS

Lecture by:
Wing Commander Niroshan Kiriwella
MSc. Tech (SPPU–Ind), PG Dip Mgt (KDU), BSc. Aero Eng (KDU), MRAeS (UK), AMIE (SL), A.Eng (ECSL), AMCMET (SL), ptsc (Ind)
 LESSON 05

Main Rotor Control

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 HELICOPTER CONTROL
Direct Control
 In the early small helicopters, control was by directly rotating
the rotor shaft
 Advantages: structure simple
 Disadvantages: too large control forces and difficult to control
precisely
 Status: Still used by Gyroplanes

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 HELICOPTER CONTROL
Control by Hiller Bar
 Two Hiller bars form the control
rotor (teetering rotor)
 The control rotor is connected
directly to swashplate
 The flap motion of bar adjust the
blade cyclic pitching angles of main
rotor
 Advantages:
 Small control forces and air loads
 Large aerodynamic damping, good
stability (stable hover)
 Disadvantage:
 Delay of response
 Status: Used by most of model
helicopter 4
 HELICOPTER CONTROL
Control by Servo Flap
 There is a flap at the blade trail edge
 Pilot controls the deflection angle of the servo flap
 The blade pitching angle is achieved with the blade
torsional deflection
 Servoflap has been successfully used on the Kaman
helicopter

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CONTROLLER AND MECHANICAL FEATURES
 Swashplate
 Helicopter Control System
 Control Mechanism
 Development of Controller

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SWASHPLATE

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HELICOPTER CONTROL SYSTEM

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 CONTROL MECHANISM
 Movement and load ranges of cockpit controllers suits
the pilot physiological characteristics
 Mechanical features directly affect the control
precision and pilot workloads
 Gradient of Stick Force
 Breakout Forces
 Limited Control Forces
 Cockpit Control Free Play

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 CONTROL MECHANISM
Gradient of Stick Force
 Stick force and displacement should be monotonous,
continuous, primarily linear and symmetrical to the center point
 Magnitude of stick forces gradient shall be suitable to control
the helicopter precisely
 The adjust system for trimming stick force is needed

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 CONTROL MECHANISM
Cockpit Control Free Play
 The free play is that any motion of the cockpit control does not
move the appropriate moment - or force - producing deflection
in flight
 The free play is caused by clearance
 In design, the engineers will do their best to keep the free play
as small as possible

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 CONTROL MECHANISM
Limited Control Forces
 Too large limited control forces will make the pilot
tired and difficult to control the helicopter precisely
 Unless otherwise specified in particular requirements,
the maximum control forces required shall not exceed
the given value
 The value of limited control forces is given by the
specification of flight qualities

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 DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLER
 Fly-by-Iron:
 Very common in the early time
 Still used in small helicopters
 Advantages: Simple, direct and reliable Disadvantages: large
stick force, dithering of stick, free play and friction hurting the
flight qualities
 Fly-by-Oil:
 Combination of fly-by-iron and hydraulic system, stick control
the hydraulic actuator which moves the swashplate
 Advantages: Large control power, no stick tethering, easy
working with SCAS (Stab Ctrl & Aug Sys)
 Disadvantages: Complicated structure, heavy, need of backup
for safety

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 DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLER
 Fly-by-Wire:
 Stick inputs commands into the
computer with redundant
technology
 The computer controls the
actuators (electric or hydraulic)
 Advantages: Small, light, good
flight qualities (insured by
computer software), high
reliability (redundant, self-
check)
 Disadvantages: Electromagnetic
effects (Ex: Lightening/ Thunder)

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 DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLER
 Fly-by-Light:
 Signals are carried by optical
fiber, other parts are same as fly-
by-wire
 No electromagnetic effect - Still
under the development
 Sidestick Controller Developed
for fly-by-wire or fly-by-light
 Located on the right side of pilot
 Command signals are forces
 Advantages: Small size, big
cockpit room. One hand and foot
of pilot are free
 Status: Installed on RAH-66
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DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLER

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 REVISION
 We have learnt
 Helicopter Flight
• Direct control
• Control by Hiller bar
• Control by Servo flap

 Controller and Mechanical features

• Swashplate
• Helicopter Control System

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 REVISION
 We have learnt…cont
 Control Mechanism
• Gradient of Stick Force
• Breakout Forces
• Limited Control Forces
• Cockpit Control Free Play

 Development of Controller

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 IN CLASS ASSIGNMENT
 Do a self-study on developments in Helicopter Control
 Suggest a novel control system for helicopters

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