As modern helicopters get heavier and their rotors get lighter, the odds of a successful outcome from an engine failure diminish. Previous research has demonstrated that for every point on the height velocity aircraft envelope there exists an optimal autorotative profile. While the optimal profile does not guarantee a successful landing, it does increase the chances of one. New England Analytics believes that through the use of active control inceptors, the aircraft can be flown to the optimal profile. The active inceptors will provide cues to the pilot indicating the required control inputs to achieve the optimal profile. To determine the optimal cues, NEA will conduct a survey of available tactile cues and assess those cues as to their functionality in assisting the pilot attain the optimum profile. The survey will look at tactile cues for use on both the collective and pitch cyclic. Additionally, NEA will examine the various inceptor configurations so as to ensure that the cues determined as optimal are effective across the various configurations. Finally, NEA will develop a conceptual tactile cueing design for the CH-53K.
Benefit: This SBIR solicitation represents a new market, thus revenue projections are hard to forecast. The use of tactile cues to provide flight profile guidance to a pilot is a new concept. The initial investment funds for this product will come from the Phase I and Phase II SBIR financing and New England Analytics LLC (NEA). Once the technology is successfully demonstrated in Phase II, NEA will develop a production model. Marketing will follow one of two paths. The first path involves selling exclusive rights for usage to various aircraft manufactures. The second path involves licensing use of the product to the manufactures. Initial cost estimates, though not clear at this time, place a unit price at approximately $10,000 - $50,000. NEA projects annual revenue to be approximately $2M within the 1st year after completion of Phase II. These projections are conservative, and assume a product penetration in only the United States of America aerospace and defense markets. NEA believes that the market for this product is only now just beginning. The market at this time is predominately limited to the U.S. DoD; however, as additional advanced control technologies expand into the civilian sector, NEA sees a significant growth in potential customers.
Keywords: cueing, cueing, Active, Tactile, Collective Cueing, Autorotation, Inceptor, Cyclic Cueing, Optimum Profile
