Eurocopter

Rogelio Ferrer

Thomas Pierre Manfredotti

Eric Magre

Tomasz Krysinski

Jean-Marc Klein

Solidborne noise and vibration is decoupled in a rotary wing aircraft by a laminated ball joint () for a suspension bar () of a transmission gearbox, the ball joint including at least two damper layers () dedicated to a frequency band for decoupling in the range 0 to 7000 Hz. For this purpose, the damper layers () and possibly also likewise dedicated interleaved layers () are given shape and/or dimension and/or physical-property parameters as a function of the frequency for decoupling in the determined frequency band.

Method of selectively decoupling solidborne noise, a laminated ball joint, a mechanical connection, and an aircraft

A method and apparatus for detecting the defects of at least one rotor of a rotary wing aircraft, in particular a helicopter, in order to adjust the rotor. In the method, in a preliminary step, a reference aircraft is used corresponding to a particular type of aircraft and having a rotor () without defect and adjusted so that the level of vibration is at a minimum, a series of measurements are taken on the aircraft (), and a neural network is deduced therefrom illustrating the relationships between accelerations representative of vibration, and defects, and adjustment parameters. Thereafter, in a later step, for a particular aircraft () of the same type, measurements are taken on the particular aircraft () and on the basis of said measurements and on the basis of the neural network, the defects, if any, are detected and values for the adjustment parameters are determined that will enable the level of vibration of the aircraft () to be minimized, which parameters are applied to the rotor ().

Method and device for detecting defects of at least one rotary wing aircraft rotor

Improving convertible aircraft of the aforementioned type mainly in terms of the active control of vibrations, while at the same time avoiding the addition of significant additional masses for essentially countering the excitations caused by the rotors and, secondarily, of making such an aircraft easier to control in terms of roll in airplane mode. In this secondary objective, these improvements aim to allow simplifications to the maneuvering and command means for controlling the aircraft in terms of roll in airplane mode and preferably, at the same time, a simplification of the command and maneuvering means performing the functions of augmenting lift and reducing offsetting power. The invention also relates to improvements made to the convertible aircraft of the aforementioned type to give them the ability to land in airplane mode (without converting beforehand from airplane configuration to helicopter configuration). This possibility makes it possible to reduce the critical nature of the rotor tilt mechanisms in that landing remains possible without damage to the aircraft, whatever the position of the rotors. Furthermore, if both engines fail in airplane mode it is advantageous, particularly from the safety point of view, to be able to make a descent in airplane mode and in gliding flight and to land without having to tilt the rotors into helicopter mode before setting down, hence reducing the workload on the crew.

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Marseilles, France

Rogelio Ferrer