Boeing AVMS; Side-stick helicopter control.

[500 Fan]

Here is an interesting flight control system that Boeing tested in December last year.


http://www.boeing.com/Features/2012/03/bds_avms_03_12_12.html


The press release doesn't really describe how the whole system works but presumably the side-control stick replaces the cyclic while the collective and tail rotor pedals are retained. I think this airframe is fitted with an autopilot and I'd guess the side-controller feeds info into the autopilot through fly-by-wire technology and this lets the pilot fly the helicopter (I could be totally wrong on this though!). Is this the first helicopter to fly successfully with a side-controller stick since the RAH-66 Comanche and the AH-1 Cobra (in the front cockpit at least)?



500 Fan.

 

[yasotay]

LOL never trust anything Jeff Bender says... he owes me beer and he cheats at cards.

Anyway, just about everybody is working on this sort of technology. Eurocopter X4 appears to be focused on new control configurations as well as new rotorcraft. Sikorsky is hard at work on this sort of effort as well. FYI two years ago I got to fly an AW-139 and other than take-off and landing the entire flight was done by pushing buttons. Us old stick jockies are on our way out.

 

[HeavyG]

The new Bell 525 is using sidestick controllers as well - no floor mounted cyclic.