Rotorcraft flight training method, associated system and rotorcraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12437668-B2
Application number	US-202418608145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2024
Priority date	May 31, 2023
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A rotorcraft flight training method for a rotorcraft comprising at least two engines and at least one rotor providing lift helping to keep the rotorcraft in the air. The method comprises at least the following steps: flying the rotorcraft in a mode wherein each engine supplies driving power to the rotor; and activating a first command to start a training phase simulating asymmetric flight, the training phase comprising a first flight phase comprising a first control operation, with a controller, controlling the at least two engines and a first display operation for displaying, with a display, information carrying at least two simulated powers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotorcraft flight training method for a rotorcraft comprising at least two engines and at least one rotor providing lift helping to keep the rotorcraft in the air, the method comprising at least the following steps:
flying the rotorcraft in an “All Engines Operating” mode (AEO) wherein each of the at least two engines delivers a first driving power (P 1 ) to rotate at least the at least one rotor;
activating a first command to start a training phase (E) simulating asymmetric flight wherein a first engine of the at least two engines is configured to supply driving power on its own to the at least one rotor and a second engine of the at least two engines is configured to supply no driving power to the at least one rotor; and
deactivating the first command in order to exit the training phase (E),
wherein the training phase (E) comprises a first flight phase (V 1 ) comprising:
a first control operation, with a controller, controlling the at least two engines to each respectively deliver a second driving power (P 2 ) greater than the first driving power (P 1 ), the first driving power (P 1 ) corresponding to a minimum power for the rotorcraft to perform a cruising flight phase in the AEO mode; and
a first display operation for displaying, with a display, information carrying at least two simulated powers (PS 1 , PS 2 ) that can be delivered respectively by the at least two engines, each of the at least two simulated powers (PS 1 , PS 2 ) being different from the second driving power (P 2 ), the second driving power (P 2 ) corresponding to another minimum power in order for the rotorcraft to perform another cruising flight phase during the simulated asymmetric flight.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least two simulated powers (PS 1 , PS 2 ) comprise a first simulated power (PS 1 ) and a second simulated power (PS 2 ), the first simulated power (PS 1 ) being displayed as being supplied only by the first engine, the first simulated power (PS 1 ) being greater than the second driving power (P 2 ) during the first flight phase (V 1 ), the second simulated power (PS 2 ) being displayed as being supplied only by the second engine, the second simulated power (PS 2 ) being zero during the first flight phase (V 1 ).

3. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the at least two simulated powers (PS 1 , PS 2 ) comprise a first simulated power (PS 1 ) and a second simulated power (PS 2 ), after the first flight phase (V 1 ), the method comprises activating a second command in order to start a second flight phase (V 2 ) for providing flight training for flying the rotorcraft in autorotation, the second flight phase (V 2 ) comprising:
a second control operation, with the controller, controlling the at least two engines, the second control operation successively involving:
reducing the driving power supplied respectively by each of the at least two engines from the second driving power (P 2 ) to a minimum threshold value (Pmin) less than the first driving power (P 1 );
keeping the driving power supplied respectively by each of the at least two engines at the minimum threshold value (Pmin); and
increasing the driving power supplied respectively by each of the at least two engines to a maximum threshold value (Pmax) greater than or equal to the first driving power (P 1 ); and
a second display operation for displaying, with the display, a reduction in a first current value of the first simulated power (PS 1 ) simulating a failure of the first engine, then an increase in a second current value of the second simulated power (PS 2 ) simulating the starting of the second engine.

4. The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein, after the second flight phase (V 2 ), the method comprises a third flight phase (V 3 ) comprising:
a third control operation, with the controller, controlling the at least two engines to each respectively deliver the maximum threshold value (Pmax); and
a third display operation for displaying, with the display, the first simulated power (PS 1 ) as being zero, and the second simulated power (PS 2 ) as being greater than the second driving power (P 2 ).

5. The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first command and the second command are activated and deactivated by a single control member.

6. The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first command is activated and deactivated by a first control member, and the second command is activated and deactivated by a second control member different from the first control member.

7. The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first command is activated by a first control member, the second command is activated by a second control member different from the first control member, and the first command and the second command are deactivated by a third control member different from the first control member and second control member.

8. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller controls an engine torque transmitted by each of the at least two engines to a power transmission system for transmitting driving power to the at least one rotor.

9. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller controls a speed of rotation of at least two respective gas generators of each of the at least two engines.

10. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller controls a speed of rotation of at least two input shafts of a main gearbox, each of the at least two input shafts being respectively rotated by the at least two engines.

11. A computer program comprising instructions that, when the program is run, cause the rotorcraft flight training method according to claim 1 to be implemented.

12. A rotorcraft flight training system, wherein the system comprises the controller and the display and is configured to implement the flight training method according to claim 1 .

13. A rotorcraft,
wherein the rotorcraft comprises a rotorcraft flight training system according to claim 12 .

14. A rotorcraft flight training method for a rotorcraft comprising two engines and a rotor providing lift helping to keep the rotorcraft in the air, the method comprising the following steps:
flying the rotorcraft in an “All Engines Operating” mode (AEO) wherein each of the two engines delivers a first driving power to rotate the rotor;
activating a first command to start a training phase simulating asymmetric flight wherein a first engine of the two engines is configured to supply driving power on its own to the rotor and a second engine of the two engines is configured to supply no driving power to the rotor; and
deactivating the first command in order to exit the training phase,
wherein the training phase comprises a first flight phase comprising:
a first control operation, with a controller, controlling the two engines to each respectively deliver a second driving power greater than the first driving power, the first driving power corresponding to at least a minimum power for the rotorcraft to perform a cruising flight phase in the AEO mode; and
a first display operation for displaying, with a display, information carrying two simulated powers that can be delivered respectively by the two engines, each of the two simulated powers being different from the second driving power, the second driving power corresponding to another minimum power in order for the rotorcraft to perform another cruising flight phase during the simulated asymmetric flight.

15. The method according to claim 14 ,
wherein the two simulated powers comprise a first simulated power and a second simulated power, the first simulated po

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters
• Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH

Inventors

• Dumur Guillaume
• Chassagne Ivan
• Ockier Carl

Classifications

• B64C27/04

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B64D31/10

  for preventing asymmetric thrust · CPC title

• G09B19/165

  Control of aircraft · CPC title

• F05D2220/329

  in helicopters · CPC title

• F02C9/42

  specially adapted for the control of two or more plants simultaneously · CPC title