Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Paul David Ruckel

Brady Garrett Atkins

Jeremy Robert Chavez

Michael David Trantham

Kevin Thomas Christensen

Brad John Roberts

Hunter Barton Nelson

Martin Wesley Shubert

In an embodiment, a method includes: adjusting a first flight control device of a rotorcraft to control flight around a first axis of the rotorcraft, the first flight control device exercising flight control authority around the first axis of the rotorcraft; detecting a failure of the first flight control device; transitioning at least a portion of the flight control authority around the first axis of the rotorcraft from the first flight control device to a second flight control device of the rotorcraft, the transitioning being performed automatically in response to detecting the failure of the first flight control device; and adjusting the second flight control device to control flight around the first axis of the rotorcraft, the second flight control device being adjusted by a first control process when the rotorcraft is in a first flight mode, the second flight control device being adjusted by a second control process when the rotorcraft is in a second flight mode.

System and method for controlling tiltrotor aircraft

A system and method for preventing a maximum asymmetric condition between pylon tilt angles due to a degraded pylon in a fly-by-wire tiltrotor aircraft during transitions between airplane mode and helicopter mode includes a conversion system for imparting movement on a right and left pylon. A flight control computer is operatively connected to a set of transducers for measuring pylon angles. The flight control computer is further connected to a set of actuators which are attached to each pylon. The flight control computer receives flight dynamics input from the set of transducers and/or the pilot and sends pylon command to the set of actuators. The conversion system measures the difference between the pylon angles during the transition and provides a pylon command adjustment if the difference exceeds a preset threshold.

Control method for preventing differences between rotor tilt angles in a fly-by-wire tiltrotor aircraft

An exemplary method for controlling low speed flight of an aircraft having a controller receiving pilot input includes transitioning from a translational rate command (TRC) to a linear acceleration command (LAC) when the controller is displaced above a control transition displacement (CTD), and while in LAC holding speed when the controller is relaxed to CTD.

Hybrid low speed control

A flapping control system for a proprotor assembly of a tiltrotor aircraft includes one or more sensors operable to detect one or more flight parameters of the tiltrotor aircraft to form sensor data. The sensors include a proprotor flapping sensor to detect a proprotor flapping measurement. The flapping control system includes a flapping control module in data communication with the sensors. The flapping control module includes a maneuver detection module to detect whether the tiltrotor aircraft is in a maneuver mode using the sensor data. The flapping control module identifies a maneuver flapping threshold associated with the maneuver mode. The flapping control module generates a swashplate command using the proprotor flapping measurement and the maneuver flapping threshold, and sends the swashplate command to the proprotor assembly to reduce flapping of the proprotor assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Paul David Ruckel