Youtube video summary:
Flying a helicopter is one of the hardest things to do in aviation, yet I "mastered" it in seconds aboard this incredibly smart machine. Sikorsky is at the forefront of autonomous helicopter aviation--something that will be essential for the future of aeromobility. (That is, air taxis.) I was the first journalist to fly SARA, the adapted S-76 that's helping develop the company's Matrix Technology system. But even before air taxis come along, the innovations developed here will boost helicopter safety and crew effectiveness across a wide range of missions. A few notes: --The conventional controls are still present, so the stick movement you see comes from the system using servos to engage the controls. The stick's movement simply mirrors those inputs. Our hands are positioned on the stick because that's where the mic trigger is--i.e., how pilot Mark Ward and I communicate with each other. --Not sure this was particularly clear, but the pilot doesn't have to do anything to disengage the system apart from taking over the controls. So there's no circumstance in which he or she would have to "wrestle" with the aircraft. It yields instantly to pilot inputs, then simply goes back to its programmed mission once control is released. --Articles forthcoming at Wired and in the print issue of Vertical magazine. My first piece on this technology appeared at The Drive: http://www.thedrive.com/news/26735/we-take-sikorskys-ground-breaking-experimental-autonomous-helicopter-prototype-for-a-test-flight
HAL Ramps Up LCA Production and Looks to the Mk2
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-03-11/hal-ramps-lca-production-and-looks-mk2
-- via my feedly newsfeed
Press release
The Boeing Company is deeply saddened by the loss of Lion Air Flight 610, which has weighed heavily on the entire Boeing team, and we extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families and loved ones of those onboard.
Safety is a core value for everyone at Boeing and the safety of our airplanes, our customers’ passengers and their crews is always our top priority. The 737 MAX is a safe airplane that was designed, built and supported by our skilled employees who approach their work with the utmost integrity.
For the past several months and in the aftermath of Lion Air Flight 610, Boeing has been developing a flight control software enhancement for the 737 MAX, designed to make an already safe aircraft even safer. This includes updates to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) flight control law, pilot displays, operation manuals and crew training. The enhanced flight control law incorporates angle of attack (AOA) inputs, limits stabilizer trim commands in response to an erroneous angle of attack reading, and provides a limit to the stabilizer command in order to retain elevator authority.
Boeing has been working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on development, planning and certification of the software enhancement, and it will be deployed across the 737 MAX fleet in the coming weeks. The update also incorporates feedback received from our customers.
The FAA says it anticipates mandating this software enhancement with an Airworthiness Directive (AD) no later than April. We have worked with the FAA in development of this software enhancement.
It is important to note that the FAA is not mandating any further action at this time, and the required actions in AD2018-23.5 continue to be appropriate.
A pitch augmentation control law (MCAS) was implemented on the 737 MAX to improve aircraft handling characteristics and decrease pitch-up tendency at elevated angles of attack. It was put through flight testing as part of the certification process prior to the airplane entering service. MCAS does not control the airplane in normal flight; it improves the behavior of the airplane in a non-normal part of the operating envelope.
Boeing’s 737 MAX Flight Crew Operations Manual (FCOM) already outlines an existing procedure to safely handle the unlikely event of erroneous data coming from an angle of attack (AOA) sensor. The pilot will always be able to override the flight control law using electric trim or manual trim. In addition, it can be controlled through the use of the existing runaway stabilizer procedure as reinforced in the Operations Manual Bulletin (OMB) issued on Nov. 6, 2018.
Additionally, we would like to express our deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. A Boeing technical team is at the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. It is still early in the investigation, as we seek to understand the cause of the accident.
press release
Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team. A Boeing technical team will be travelling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
press release
Airbus Helicopters wraps up the 2019 edition of Heli-Expo with 43 orders from worldwide customers announced for the whole Airbus civil product range - H125, H130, H135, H145, H160, H175 and H225. Twenty-one helicopters of the 43 orders announced at the show were from longstanding Airbus Helicopters customer Air Medical Group Holdings (AMGH), which unveiled a contract for a mix of single-engine H125s and twin-engine H135s.
Major highlights included the launch of a new version of the H145 providing increased performance, comfort, simplicity and connectivity to the twin-engine best-seller. This new H145 secured launch customers in key market segments with orders for 10 units being announced at the show, as well as retrofits for nine helicopters.
“Heli-Expo is always a great opportunity to meet with our customers and to show them first-hand how we strive to bring innovations that meet their needs, like the five-bladed H145 we unveiled this year,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “Our teams are thrilled to see the market reacting so positively to these efforts, and I’m thankful to all the customers who placed their trust in our products in services”.
Airbus performed daily demonstrations of the new digital support and service offerings that were unveiled at the show such as digital log cards, with CHC Helicopter’s newest H175 to become the first helicopter to be delivered with the new system, and the new Flight Analyser data analytics. Key contracts from the HCare support portfolio were signed such as the first HCare Infinite in North America for Superior Helicopters and a global support contract for the 19 helicopters of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) of the United Kingdom, highlighting Airbus’ commitment to delivering efficient support to its customers worldwide.
Heli-Expo also saw some key partnership announcements with the selection of the Pratt & Whitney (PW 206B3) turbine engine to power the Airbus H135 IFR-certified helicopter the company is proposing for the U.S. Navy helicopter trainer replacement. Airbus Helicopters also announced partnerships with Skytrac, AMS and Lundin Software to enhance its data collection capabilities that will enrich Airbus databases and inform analytics services that offer value to customers.
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