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  • Chapter 6: Flight Controls › Flight Control Systems › Primary Flight Controls

    Flight Control Systems Flight Controls Aircraft flight control systems consist of primary and secondary systems. The ailerons, elevator (or stabilator), and rudder constitute the primary control system and are required to control an aircraft safely during flight. Wing flaps, leading ... edge devices, spoilers, and trim systems constitute the secondary control system and improve the performance characteristics of the airplane or relieve the pilot of excessive control forces. Primary Flight Controls Aircraft control systems are carefully designed to provide adequate responsiveness…

  • Chapter 9: Basic Flight Maneuvers › Approaches › Technique

    Technique On final approach, at the recommended approach airspeed and at approximately 300 feet AGL, the helicopter should be on the correct ground track (or ground alignment) for the intended landing site, but the axis of the helicopter does ... have to be aligned until about 50-100 feet AGL to facilitate a controlled approach. [Figure 9-20] Just prior to reaching the desired approach angle, begin the approach by lowering the collective sufficiently to get the helicopter decelerating…

  • Chapter 1: Introduction to the Helicopter › Controlling Flight › Throttle

    Throttle Helicopter rotors are designed to operate at a specific rpm. Figure 1-11. The throttle control mounted at the end of the collective control. The throttle controls the power produced by the engine, which is connected to the rotor ... transmission. The purpose of the throttle is to maintain enough engine power to keep the rotor rpm within allowable limits to produce enough lift for flight. In single-engine helicopters, if so equipped, the throttle control is typically a twist…

  • Chapter 11: Aircraft Performance › Takeoff and Landing Performance › Landing Performance

    item that alters the landing speed or deceleration rate during the landing roll affects the landing distance. The effect of gross weight on landing distance is one of the principal items determining the landing distance. One effect of an increased ... gross weight is that a greater speed is required to support the aircraft at the landing AOA and lift coefficient. For an example of the effect of a change in gross weight, a 21 percent increase in landing weight requires…

  • Chapter 6: Flight Controls

    addition, in some large and fast aircraft, controls are boosted by hydraulically or electrically actuated systems. In both the fly-by-wire and boosted controls, the feel of the control reaction is fed back to the pilot by simulated means ... Current research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center involves Intelligent Flight Control Systems (IFCS). The goal of this project is to develop an adaptive neural network-based flight control system. Applied directly to flight…

  • Chapter 9: Basic Flight Maneuvers › Common Errors › Crosswind During Approaches

    Technique As the helicopter nears the surface, increase the collective, as necessary, to cushion the landing on the surface, terminate in a skids-level attitude with no forward movement. Common Errors 1. Terminating to a hover, and then making ... vertical landing. 2. Touching down with forward movement. 3. Approaching too slow, requiring the use of excessive power during the termination. 4. Approaching too fast, causing a hard landing 5. Not maintaining skids aligned with direction of travel at touchdown…