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US 12,589,867 B2Granted
Helicopter tail rotor drive system on demand speed control
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsYann Lavallee, Scott D. Poster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tail rotor control system is described for helicopters. A pedal position sensor operable by a pilot yields greater tail rotor RPM relative to the main rotor RPM, giving the pilot increased control over the vehicle. This proves especially useful in certain situations, such as high altitude, where increasing tail rotor speed from main rotor speed can give a pilot increased maneuverability and stability.
Claims20
A system of a helicopter, comprising:
- a tail rotor including two or more tail rotor blades, wherein the tail rotor is configured to spin the two or more tail rotor blades at a standard tail operating speed, wherein the tail rotor is further configured to adjust a pitch of the two or more tail rotor blades;
- a main rotor configured to spin two or more main rotor blades at a standard main operating speed;
- and
- a controller configured to be operable by a user to adjust a speed of the tail rotor and the pitch of the two or more tail rotor blades, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to increase a rotational speed of the tail rotor above the standard tail operating speed, wherein the controller is configured to receive an input, wherein the controller includes physical instructive components configured to increase the rotational speed of the tail rotor from a slow speed to a fast speed upon the input transitioning from a second value to a first value and to then maintain the fast speed upon the input returning to the second value and to decrease the rotational speed to the slow speed upon the input achieving a third value, wherein the second value is between the first value and the third value.
1 more element
A control system for a helicopter, comprising
- a controller, the controller being configured to be coupled to a tail rotor of the helicopter, wherein the controller is structurally configured and positioned to receive an input from a user, wherein the controller includes physical instructive components configured to increase a rotational speed of the tail rotor from a slow speed to a fast speed upon the input transitioning from a second value to a first value and to then maintain the fast speed upon the input returning to the second value and to decrease the rotational speed to the slow speed upon the input achieving a third value, wherein the second value is between the first value and the third value.
A method of operating a tail rotor on a helicopter, comprising:
- operating the tail rotor at a standard operating speed;
- receiving, by a controller, an input from a user, the controller operable to increase a rotational speed of the tail rotor above the standard operating speed upon receiving the input;
- and
- increasing, by the controller, the rotational speed of the tail rotor above the standard operating speed when the input transitions from a second value to a first value;
- maintaining, by the controller, the rotational speed of the tail rotor above the standard operating speed once the input transitions from the first value back to the second value;
- and
- decreasing, by the controller, the rotational speed of the tail rotor from being above the standard operating speed to the standard operating speed once the input transitions from the second value to a third value, wherein the second value is between the first value and the third value.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.