One aspect is a flight control system for a rotary wing aircraft that includes flight control computer configured to interface with a main rotor system, a translational thrust system, and an engine control system. The flight control computer includes processing circuitry configured to execute control logic. The control logic includes a primary flight control configured to produce flight control commands for the main rotor system and the translational thrust system. A main engine anticipation logic is configured to produce a rotor power demand associated with the main rotor system. A propulsor loads engine anticipation logic is configured to produce an auxiliary propulsor power demand associated with the translational thrust system. The flight control computer providing the engine control system with a total power demand anticipation signal based on a combination of the rotor power demand and the auxiliary propulsor power demand.

Methods and systems for operating an aircraft powerplant comprising an engine coupled to a variable-pitch propeller capable of generating forward and reverse thrust are described herein. A request to enable a mode for automated reverse thrust is received. Reverse thrust conditions are determined to have been met when the aircraft is on-ground, a blade angle of the propeller is below a blade angle threshold and a position of a power lever is at a selected idle region of the power lever. Reverse thrust of the propeller is triggered when the mode for automated reverse thrust is enabled and the reverse thrust conditions have been met.

An electronic controller for an engine and a propeller, a control system and related methods are described herein. The control system comprises the controller having a first channel and a second channel independent from and redundant to the first channel. Each channel comprises a control processor configured to receive first engine and propeller parameters and to output, based on the first engine and propeller parameters, at least one engine control command and at least one propeller control command. Each channel also comprises a protection processor configured to receive second engine and propeller parameters and to output, based on the second engine and propeller parameters, at least one engine protection command and at least one propeller protection command. The control system comprises sensors for measuring the parameters of the engine and/or the propeller and effectors configured to control the engine and the propeller.

Methods and systems for validating a propeller control unit associated with a propeller having blades are provided. Actuation of a control valve of the propeller control unit is commanded to alter a pitch angle of the blades. One of an actual pitch angle of the blades and an actual rotational speed of the propeller is determined after a predetermined time delay has elapsed. The one of the actual pitch angle of the blades and the actual rotational speed of the propeller is compared to a corresponding one of a pitch angle threshold and a rotational speed threshold, the pitch angle threshold and the rotational speed threshold based on a commanded pitch angle. A warning signal is issued in response to determining one of the actual pitch angle failing to meet the pitch angle threshold and the actual rotational speed failing to meet the rotational speed threshold.

An electronic control system (30) for a turbopropeller engine (1) having a gas turbine (2, 4, 5, 6) and a propeller (7), coupled to the gas turbine, the control system (10) having a propeller control unit (14) and a turbine control unit (15) to jointly control engine power output based on an input request (PLA), wherein the propeller control unit (14) has a first reference generator (16), to determine a reference propeller speed (N.sub.pref) based on the input request (PLA), and a first regulator (19), to regulate a propeller speed (N.sub.p). The propeller control unit (14) has a reference correction stage (31) to apply a correction to the reference propeller speed (N.sub.pref) and generate thereby a corrected reference propeller speed (I), and the first regulator (19) regulates the propeller speed (N.sub.p) based on the corrected reference propeller speed (I) to achieve optimized efficiency.

An actuation system for an aircraft piston engine includes a controller and an actuator. The controller selectively supplies motor control signals to a motor. The actuator includes a housing, a motor, a main rod, a control handle, and an inner rod. The main rod receives a drive torque from the motor and translates in either a first axial direction or a second axial direction. The main rod is responsive to an axial drive force to translate in either the first axial direction or the second axial direction. The inner rod is disposed within the main rod and is movable between a first position, in which main rod rotation causes the main rod to translate, and a second position, in which main rod rotation does not cause the main rod to translate, but application of the axial force to the control handle causes the main rod to translate.

A method of operating an aircraft engine coupled to a wing of an aircraft including: setting a pitch of a plurality of rotor blades of a rotor assembly of the aircraft engine at non-uniform pitch angles along a circumferential direction of the aircraft engine such that the plurality of rotor blades define a first pitch at a first position and a second pitch at a second position, wherein the second position is 180 degrees offset from the first position, and wherein the first pitch is different from the second pitch.

Aerial vehicles may include propulsion units having motors with drive shafts that may be aligned at a variety of orientations, propellers with variable pitch blades, and common operators for aligning the drive shafts at one or more orientations and for varying the pitch angles of the blades. The common operators may include plate elements to which a propeller hub is rotatably joined, and which may be supported by one or more linear actuators that may extend or retract to vary both the orientations of the drive shafts and the pitch angles of the blades. Operating the motors and propellers at varying speeds, gimbal angles or pitch angles enables the motors to generate forces in any number of directions and at any magnitudes. Attributes of the propulsion units may be selected in order to shape or control the noise generated thereby.

A propeller oil control system for a turboprop engine of an aircraft includes an engine control unit and a propeller oil controller. The engine control unit is operable to determine a flight phase of the aircraft and is configured to supply control commands. The propeller oil controller is coupled to receive a supply of oil and to discharge the oil at a discharge oil pressure. The propeller oil controller includes an electrohydraulic servo valve that receives the control commands moves to a plurality of positions between a first position and a mid-position, and a plurality of positions between the mid-position and a second position. The engine control unit only commands the electrohydraulic servo valve to move out of the first position when the engine control unit determines the aircraft is conducting a take-off roll or the aircraft is in flight.

A method and to a system of reducing the noise generated in-flight by a vortex wake caused by each first blade of a main rotor of a hybrid helicopter. The hybrid helicopter includes a main rotor, at least two wings and at least one propeller. The method enables a stabilized flight phase on the level or with a non-zero aerodynamic slope to be implemented by determining a first value of the pitch of the second blades of each propeller and an angle of incidence of the main rotor as function of the flight conditions, then by applying the first pitch value to each propeller and by applying the angle of incidence to the main rotor so as to direct the vortex wake to limit the noisy interactions between the vortex wake and the other first blades and/or the second blades.