A control augmentation system for high aspect ratio aircraft has aileron/flaperon and throttle position sensors; spoiler and flap controls; a mode switch with manual, and landing modes; and a controller driving left and right spoiler and flap servos, the controller including at least one processor with memory containing firmware configured to: when the mode switch is in manual mode, drive both spoiler servos to a symmetrical position according to the spoiler control; when the mode switch is in landing mode, drive the left spoiler to a position dependent on aileron and throttle position, and the right spoiler to a position dependent on aileron and throttle position, the left and right spoiler positions differing whenever ailerons are not centered, and an average of spoiler positions is more fully deployed when the throttle position is at a low-power setting than when the throttle position is at a high-power setting.

An adaptive flight control system for controlling the pitch of blades of a propulsive propeller of a hybrid helicopter as a function of the return value of the pitch. The adaptive flight control system comprises control means supplying the pitch control order, a piloting member controlling variation of the pitch, and piloting means applying a control gain in order to transform the control order into a setpoint, and transmitting the setpoint to the piloting member. The piloting means include information return means applying a return gain that is variable to the return value of the variation of the pitch to the piloting means, also modifying the control gain as a function of the return value.

An autopilot actuator includes first and second motors each including a rotatable motor output shaft such that either one or both of the motors can drive an actuator output shaft. An autopilot main unit enclosure is removably mounted to the helicopter proximate to a cyclic control and commonly houses autopilot actuators as well as main autopilot electronics. A cyclic vibration isolator is removably supported by an actuator shaft for co-rotation and coupled to the cyclic control to attenuate a cyclic vibration frequency at the actuator shaft while output rotations of the actuator shaft below a resonant frequency are coupled to the cyclic control. A force limited link includes first and second ends and a variable length between. The force limited link having a relaxed length when less than an unseating force is applied and the variable length changes when an applied force exceeds the unseating force to permit pilot override.

A control augmentation system for high aspect ratio aircraft has aileron/flaperon and throttle position sensors; spoiler and flap controls; a mode switch with manual, and landing modes; and a controller driving left and right spoiler and flap servos, the controller including at least one processor with memory containing firmware configured to: when the mode switch is in manual mode, drive both spoiler servos to a symmetrical position according to the spoiler control; when the mode switch is in landing mode, drive the left spoiler to a position dependent on aileron and throttle position, and the right spoiler to a position dependent on aileron and throttle position, the left and right spoiler positions differing whenever ailerons are not centered, and an average of spoiler positions is more fully deployed when the throttle position is at a low-power setting than when the throttle position is at a high-power setting.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a control apparatus includes a first mounting member, an elongate member having a first elongate portion, a second elongate portion, a first axis member between the first elongate portion and the second elongate portion, pivotally mounting the elongate member to the first mounting member and defining a first axis, a track configured as an arc defined about the first axis, and a first feedback assembly supported upon the second elongate portion and providing a first interface device configured to travel along the track in response to movement of the second elongate portion partly about the first axis, wherein the mass of the second elongate portion and the first feedback assembly substantially offsets the mass of the first elongate portion about the first axis member.

A control augmentation system for high aspect ratio aircraft has aileron/flaperon and throttle position sensors; spoiler and flap controls; a mode switch with manual, and landing modes; and a controller driving left and right spoiler and flap servos, the controller including at least one processor with memory containing firmware configured to: when the mode switch is in manual mode, drive both spoiler servos to a symmetrical position according to the spoiler control; when the mode switch is in landing mode, drive the left spoiler to a position dependent on aileron and throttle position, and the right spoiler to a position dependent on aileron and throttle position, the left and right spoiler positions differing whenever ailerons are not centered, and an average of spoiler positions is more fully deployed when the throttle position is at a low-power setting than when the throttle position is at a high-power setting.

An autopilot actuator includes first and second motors each including a rotatable motor output shaft such that either one or both of the motors can drive an actuator output shaft. An autopilot main unit enclosure is removably mounted to the helicopter proximate to a cyclic control and commonly houses autopilot actuators as well as main autopilot electronics. A cyclic vibration isolator is removably supported by an actuator shaft for co-rotation and coupled to the cyclic control to attenuate a cyclic vibration frequency at the actuator shaft while output rotations of the actuator shaft below a resonant frequency are coupled to the cyclic control. A force limited link includes first and second ends and a variable length between. The force limited link having a relaxed length when less than an unseating force is applied and the variable length changes when an applied force exceeds the unseating force to permit pilot override.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a control apparatus includes a first mounting member, an elongate member having a first elongate portion, a second elongate portion, a first axis member between the first elongate portion and the second elongate portion, pivotally mounting the elongate member to the first mounting member and defining a first axis, a track configured as an arc defined about the first axis, and a first feedback assembly supported upon the second elongate portion and providing a first interface device configured to travel along the track in response to movement of the second elongate portion partly about the first axis, wherein the mass of the second elongate portion and the first feedback assembly substantially offsets the mass of the first elongate portion about the first axis member.

An actuator assembly having a primary load path for tightly coupling an actuated surface to a reference structure and a secondary load path having a backlash portion for coupling the actuated surface to the reference structure with backlash, wherein the secondary load path is unloaded during an operative state of the primary load path and loaded during a failure state of the primary load path. The actuator assembly includes at least one sensor configured to sense the failure state of the primary load path when a relative displacement between a portion of the primary load path and a portion of the secondary load path exceeds a predetermined value or is within a predetermined range of values.

A flight control computer (FCC) for a rotorcraft includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, with the program including instructions for providing main rotor overspeed protection. The instructions for providing the main rotor overspeed protection include instructions for monitoring sensor signals indicating a main rotor RPM, determining a target operating parameter, determining one or more flight parameters in response to a relationship between the main rotor RPM and the target operating parameter indicating a main rotor overspeed condition. Determining the one or more flight parameters includes determining a setting for a flight control device of the rotorcraft that changes the main rotor RPM, controlling positioning of a pilot control according to the flight parameters, and controlling the flight control device of the rotorcraft according to positioning of the pilot control.