A piloting device for piloting an aircraft comprises a first and a second control stick mounted movable on a support. The device comprises a priority selection module configured to switch the first and second control sticks between a piloting configuration and a non-piloting configuration. The device further comprises a detection system for detecting the positions of the first and second control sticks; a first and second actuation system configured to generate respective first and second forces on the respective first and second control stick; and a control module configured to control the actuation system of the control stick which is in a non-piloting configuration such that the positions of the control sticks are identical.

A control system for electronically linked pilot and co-pilot inceptors (103) permits an asymmetric roll axis feel depending on whether an inceptor is moved inboard or outboard. A circuit (401) receives a signal representative of a force applied to the pilot's inceptor resulting from a side-to-side movement and detects if the force applied is in an inward or an outward direction. A gain factor is applied to the received force signal to produce a factored force signal. The gain applied to a signal representative of force applied in an outward direction is greater than the gain factor applied to a signal representative of force applied in an inward direction. A summer (212, 213) sums the factored force signal with a corresponding factored force signal derived from force signals from the co-pilot's inceptor to produce a modified force signal for use in a force feedback control system associated with each inceptor.

A hybrid fly/drive vehicle capable of being converted between a flying mode in which it is capable of flying in air and a road riding mode in which it is capable of driving on a road in normal traffic, includes an arrangement to allow the engine to be pedal-controlled in road riding mode and lever-controlled in flying mode, and further includes pedals for engine control and possibly clutch actuation in road riding mode and for rudder control in flying mode, which pedals also actuate the brakes in flying mode.

An aircraft inceptor system includes an inceptor member arranged to be operated by a user to cause a corresponding movement of a moveable aircraft surface. The system also includes means for detecting the operation of the inceptor member by the user and for providing a movement signal, associated with the detected operation, to a flight control computer, the flight control computer providing a control signal to an actuator to move the aircraft surface according to the movement signal. The means for detecting the operation of the inceptor member by the user comprises a force sensor configured to sense the force applied by the user to the inceptor member, the movement signal being derived based on the sensed force.

The aircraft control system 100 includes an inceptor with a set of primary inceptor axes and a set of secondary inceptor inputs. The inceptor can optionally include a hand rest, a thumb groove, a set of finger grooves, passive soft stops, and/or any other additional elements. The aircraft control system can optionally include a flight controller, aircraft sensors, effectors, and a haptic feedback mechanism. However, the aircraft control system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable components.

A method and a system for providing a rotorcraft with assistance in taking off from a slope. The rotorcraft includes at least one lift rotor provided with a plurality of blades, control devices for controlling the pitches of the blades, and landing gear provided with at least three ground contact members. The method comprises a step of measuring a piece of information relating to the forces to which each ground contact member is subjected during a landing phase for landing on the slope, a step of measuring at least one piece of information relating to the pitches of the blades during the landing phase, and a control step for controlling the pitches of the blades during the takeoff phase during which the rotorcraft takes off after the landing as a function of the measurements taken during the landing in order to enable a takeoff to be performed that is safe and simplified.

The invention relates to a force application device for a control stick of an aircraft, said stick comprising a control lever that is connected to a motor comprising a drive shaft, said device having: a first pin connected to the drive shaft, a housing, a second pin secured to the housing, an electromagnet secured in relation to the housing, a movable actuator which comprises a magnetic material such that said actuator can be displaced depending on a supply of current of the electromagnet, and means for clamping the first pin and the second pin which comprise a first tooth and a second tooth, said device having an operating configuration in which the electromagnet is active and the actuator separates the teeth away from the first pin and the second pin, and a blocking configuration in which the electromagnet is inactive, with the first tooth and the second tooth coming into contact with the first pin and the second pin.

In an embodiment, a rotorcraft includes: a flight control computer configured to: receive a first sensor signal from a first aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft; receive a second sensor signal from a second aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft, the second aircraft sensor being different from the first aircraft sensor; combine the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal with a complementary filter to determine an estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft; adjust flight control devices of the rotorcraft according to the estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft, thereby changing flight characteristics of the rotorcraft; and reset the complementary filter in response to detecting the rotorcraft is grounded.

A flight guidance panel for an aircraft includes a subpanel display, a joystick, rotary encoders, a deflection sensor, and a processor. The subpanel display indicates autopilot modes and flight value goals and has a top-level state and a subpanel control state. The joystick is for user interaction with the subpanel display. The rotary encoder is coupled with the joystick to receive rotation inputs from a user of the joystick. The deflection sensor is coupled with the joystick to detect a deflection input from the user of the joystick. The processor is programmed to: change a state of the subpanel display to the subpanel control state corresponding to a selected subpanel in response to receiving the deflection input while the subpanel display is in the top-level state; and change the flight value goals in response to receiving the rotation inputs while the subpanel display is in the subpanel control state.

There is provided a control stick module (10) comprising: a first shaft (100); a second shaft (110); a joint (140) connecting the first and second shafts; and a gimbal mechanism (120); wherein the joint is nested within the gimbal mechanism. The gimbal mechanism provides axes of rotation (201, 202) for the first shaft (100) and the joint provides axes of rotation (203, 204, 205) for the first shaft (100); and the axes of rotation (201, 202) provided by the gimbal mechanism intersect at a point corresponding to a point of intersection of the axes (203, 204, 205) provided by the joint.