Preliminary Airworthiness Evaluation of the UH-60A with Advanced Digital Optical Control System (ADOCS).
Abstract
The (ADOCS) is being developed on a UH-60A helicopter by the Boeing Vertol Co. to demonstrate the feasibility of a digital optical control system. The U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity conducted a Preliminary Airworthiness Evaluation of ADOCS installed on a UH-60A aircraft to evaluate the handling qualities and to provide data for issuance of an airworthiness release for a demonstration of the system to the army aviation community through a guest pilot program. The ADOCS consists of a Primary Flight Control System, which incorporates limited-displacement side-arm controllers for pilot inputs (right-side pilot station only), and an Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) which is used to augment the basic UH-60A stability. Displacement of the controllers is measured and transmitted optically to digital flight control processors where the control commands are summed with the AFCS commands and sent to the rotor control actuators. The evaluation was conducted at the BV Flight Test Center at Wilmington, Delaware between 25 March and 9 April, 1987 and consisted of 9 flights comprising 17.5 hours (14.9 productive hours). Tests included handling qualities, simulated system failures, and mission maneuvers. Three enhancing characteristics were found: (1) the ease in rolling to and maintaining a desired bank angle; (2) the capability to maintain hands-off stabilized hover with all selectable modes engaged, and; (3) the capability of the barometric altitude hold mode to maintain altitude during simulated instrument flight tasks.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA190674
Entities
People
- Gary L. Bender
- Robert D. Robbins