NATOPS CH2.9 Flight Control System Flashcards
Into what sections can the flight control system be devided?
- Mechanical control Section
- Flight Control Servo Section
- Automatic Flight Control Section
How do the mechanical control inputs get to the Swashplates?
Cyclic, collective, and trail rotor pedal inputs are routed aft and outboard of each pilot seat and vertically up the side of the aircraft (in the broom closet) where they are combinedat the overhead torque shafts inside the hyd bay
The overhead torque shafts transfer inputs from the from the trim servos and pilot controls through the pilot assist servos and mixing unit
From the mixing unit Fore/Aft/Lateral inputs are transfered to the stationary swashplate via the bridge assembly
Trim and Control Inputs -> Pilot Assist Servos -> Mixing Assembly -> Primary Servos -> Bridge Assembly -> Swashplates
How is the Tail Rotor System Actuated?
The Tail Rotor Servo is mechanically actuated (Tail Rotor Quadrant) but requires hyrdaulic pressure to operate the pitch change shaft (Tail Rotor Servo)
Describe the Primary servos
What if one fails?
Three primary servos have two stages that are indipendent and redundant.
Looking aft on the aircraft they are (from left to right think “Fat A Lady”) Forward, Aft, Lateral
Should one stage become inoperative the other will pick up the slack and the approriate PRI SERVO PRESS will illuminate
Which pumps operate which stage of the Tail Rotor Servo?
The No.1 Hyd system powers the first stage TR servo, the Backup Pump will operate the second stage in the event of a leak or if the TAIL SERVO switch is placed in backup
What does the Pilot Assist Servo Assmebly contain?
Which require Hyd power?
- Boost Servos
- SAS Actuators
- Hydraulic (pitch and roll) actuators
Controls are operable without hydraulic power but movements in the collective and Yaw inputs will require considerable effort. Primary servos require hydraulic pressure to operate
Name the Boost Servos and their order
There are three boost servos Collective, Yaw, and Pitch. All three plus the roll channel include SAS actuators
From left to right looking forward (think “Your Ready Plane Captain) Yaw, Roll, Pitch, Collective
Describe the Mechanical Control Compensations
- Collective to Yaw
- Increase in torque drives Nose right when collective is increased so TR thrust is increased
- Collective to Lateral
- TR Prop effect causes Helo dirft to right when collective is increase so MR disk is tilted left
- Collective to Longitudinal
- MR downwash on Stab pitches nose up when collective is increased so MR disk is tilted fwd
- Yaw to Longitudial
- TR lift vector pitches nose down with Left pedal applied so MR disk is tiled aft
Describe the electronic Control Compensation
The Camber of the trail rotor pylon varies side load with airspeed causing the nose to yaw left as airspeed increases so a portion of the trim MR torque compensation is washed out as airspeed increases
(pylon becomes more effective so less TR trim input is required)
Describe what the AFCC does and its control channels (Inner/Outer)
The Automatic Flight Control Computer commands the SAS actuators and trim actuators in all four channels. It employs two types of control the inner-loop system and the outer-loop system
The Inner-Loop system employs rate dampening (fast in response, limited in authority) it operates without flight control input. Think of this as the behind the scenes system that keeps you from over controlling
The Outer-Loop system provides long term inputs by trimming the flight controls to the position required to maintain the selected regime. This is the system that you will feel make inputs to hold alt/spd or conduct approaches
How much can the Outer-Loop move controls?
It is capable of moving the controls through the full control range, however it is limited to 10% per sec
What are the 19 functions of the Automatic Flight Control system?
- Automatic Preflight Check
- Blade-Fold Assist
- Cyclic, Collective, and Pedal Trim
- Pitch and Roll Attitude Hold
- Airspeed Hold
- Heading Hold
- Pitch and Roll Hover Augmentation/Gust Alleviation
- Turn Coordination
- Maneuvering Stability
- Radar Altitude Hold
- Barometric Altitude Hold
- Automatic Approach to a Hover
- Hover Coupler
- Crew hover
- Automatic Depart
- Pitch, Roll, and Yaw Stability Augmentation (SAS)
- Diagnostics (failure Advisory)
- Stabilator Control
- Cable Angle Hover
What is required to execute the preflight checks?
- Weight on Wheels
- Rotor Break On
- Engine Torque below 10%
- Both EGI attitude valid
- SAS 1 Push button Engaged (after AFCC on for 20 sec)
How does the AFCS contribute to the blade fold system?
The AFCS will position the cyclic, collective, and tail rotor pedals prior to the blade fold sequence
How many trim servos are there?
How much control do they have?
There are two high-torque electric servos (yaw and collective) and two hydraulic servos (pitch and roll)
They command full control authority but are rate limited to 10% per sec
How is setting pedal trim different from the others?
Below 50 KIAS pressing the trim release switches on the pedals will release the trim hold, however above 50 KIAS both the pedal trim and the cyclic trim release switches must be pressed to disengage/reengage pedal trim
When is Attitude Hold employed and what happens as you accelerate?
How much can you change attitde with the trim hat?
At airspeeds less than 50 KIAS the attitude hold feature is used. A wing leveling feature is added retrimming the aircraft as the aircraft passes through 50 KIAS
Using the trim hat you can change the pitch 5° per sec, and you can change the roll 6° per sec
When is airspeed hold used?
How much can you change the airspeed?
Airspeed hold is used above 50 KIAS and angles of bank less than 30°
Airspeed can be changed at a rate of 6 KIAS per sec
How much is heading hold slewed with the HDG TRIM switch? (Above and Below 50)
When is it reengaged?
Below 50 KIAS
Slewed 3° per sec
Above 50 KIAS
Less than a sec results in 1° heading change, greater than a sec results in a 1° per sec coordinated turn
Reengaged
After a turn, it is reengaged when the following conditions are maintained for 2 sec:
- Aircraft roll attitude is within 2° of wings level
- Yaw rate is less than 2° per sec