Arrangement for controlling the performance of bob-up/bob-down maneuvers

Abstract

A control arrangement for use in conjunction with a flight control computer operating in response to various input signals including those received from a collective stick to control the flight regime of a helicopter, which is operative for causing the helicopter to perform bob-up and bob-down maneuvers, includes a circuitry which generates a first control signal when the helicopter is to perform a bob-up maneuver from its instantaneous altitude to a higher altitude, stores data descriptive of at least one instantaneous altitude at the time of commencement of the first control signal; issues in response to the first control signal, an ascent command signal representative of a helicopter ascent at a maximum permissible ascent rate; generates a second control signal when the helicopter is to perform a bob-down maneuver from the higher altitude to that stored in the storing means; issues, in response to the second control signal, a descent command signal representative of a helicopter descent at a maximum permissible descent rate; and supplies the respective one of the ascent and descent command signals as an additional input signal to the flight control computer for use in controlling the flight regime of the helicopter in accordance therewith.