![]() The facility is used to simulate aircraft behavior and evaluate the aircraft performance relative to new FTVs. The FCSIL is a CH-53K aircraft representative laboratory and simulator with triple redundancy-a flight representative control system. The FTVs were evaluated in the Flight Controls System Integration Lab (FCSIL), a Sikorsky-owned lab in Stratford, Connecticut, used by the ITT. With the deficiency identified by the flight test team, the design engineers began developing FTVs and performing analysis. The FCS air data computers were reading large pressure fluctuations causing the FCS to think the air data computers had failed. During initial aerial refueling testing on the CH-53K in 2018, the FCS showed faults due to the turbulent air data created by the tanker aircraft. One example of the team’s success was the correction of air data faults during aerial refueling. When issues were identified through flight test, which required a quick resolution, the whole team collaborated from sites in Florida, Maryland and Connecticut. The CH-53K FCS is a work in progress and a team effort. “With each major FCS software drop, the aircraft baseline performance markedly increases due to the incorporation of these verified FTVs,” Merriman said. These FTVs are then incorporated into the next major FCS software release. If an issue is identified in flight test, the FTVs can be adjusted within a preapproved range, providing the pilots an opportunity to evaluate the correction in the aircraft in the intended environment. “It allows us to test design fixes on aircraft in between major software releases.”Īccording to Merriman, this means the team can continually improve the FCS software. “FTVs are an extremely powerful tool,” said Craig Merriman, CH-53K assistant program manager for test. In these four test aircraft, the fly-by-wire FCS permits the use of adjustable parameters called Flight Test Variables (FTVs), giving the test team opportunities to improve the aircraft control characteristics. The flight test program for the CH-53K uses four Engineering Development Model CH-53K aircraft. The high performance of the FCS is a direct result of the ongoing collaboration and cooperation between subject matter experts within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Heavy Lift Helicopters Program Office, the Integrated Test Team (ITT), and the Flight Controls System design engineers from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company.įor pilots, the FCS provides more predictable and stable control responses to improve safety and mission effectiveness.įor maintainers, the FCS reduces complexity by eliminating conventional helicopter hardware like mixers, push-rods and tail rotor cables, while improving diagnostic capability and maintenance time.įor members of the CH-53K ITT, the most impressive FCS benefit is how it can be used to achieve future capabilities and quickly correct identified deficiencies. ![]()
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