The UH-60 BLACK HAWK was designed in the 1970s, when the US Army primarily operated during the day in good visual conditions. Subsequently, the introduction of night-vision goggles increased the BLACK HAWK'S mission effectiveness, but the accident rate also increased. The increased accident rate is strongly tied to increased pilot workload as a result of a degradation in visual cues. Over twenty years of research in helicopter flight control and handling qualities has shown that these degraded handling qualities can be recovered by modifying the response type of the helicopter in low speed flight. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation initiated a project under the National Rotorcraft Technology Center (NRTC) to develop modern flight control laws while utilizing the existing partial authority Stability Augmentation System (SAS) of the BLACK HAWK. This effort resulted in a set of Modernized Control Laws (MCLAWS) that incorporate rate command and attitude command response types. Sikorsky and the US Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD) conducted a piloted simulation on the NASA-Ames Vertical h4otion Simulator, to assess potential handling qualities and to reduce the risk of subsequent implementation and flight test of these modern control laws on AFDD's EH-60L helicopter. The simulation showed that Attitude Command Attitude Hold control laws in pitch and roll improve handling qualities in the low speed flight regime. These improvements are consistent across a range of mission task elements and for both good and degraded visual environments. The MCLAWS perform better than the baseline UH-60A control laws in the presence of wind and turbulence. Finally, while the improved handling qualities in the pitch and roll axis allow the pilot to pay more attention to the vertical axis and hence altitude performance also improves, it is clear from pilot comments and altitude excursions that the addition of an Altitude Hold function would further reduce workload and improve overall handling qualities of the aircraft.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Piloted Evaluation of Modernized Limited Authority Control Laws in the NASA-Ames Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS)


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    American Helicopter Society Annual Forum ; 2003 ; Phoenix, AZ, United States


    Publication date :

    2003-01-01


    Type of media :

    Preprint


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





    Historical Review of Piloted Simulation at NASA Ames

    Anderson, S. B. / Advisory Group for Aeroscope Research and Development; Flight Vehicle Integration Panel | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1996



    Mechanical design of NASA Ames Research Center vertical motion simulator

    Engelbert, D. F. / Bakke, A. P. / Chargin, M. K. et al. | NTRS | 1976


    U.S. Coast Guard Boat Recovery Simulation at NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator

    Riccobono, Nicholas S. / Chung, William W. / Norris, Stephen J. et al. | NTRS | 2020