Two-place, collective pitch and throttle control

A method of controlling an aircraft, the method comprising:

• providing the aircraft having a fuselage with a fixed wing and a rotary wing operably secured thereto, a starboard pilot position and a port pilot position for accommodating pilots, the fuselage defining a longitudinal axis extending fore and aft, a lateral axis extending orthogonally thereto, and a transverse axis extending substantially vertically, orthogonal to the longitudinal and lateral axes;
• the providing an aircraft, further comprising providing an engine, having a throttle configured to advance to increase power output thereof and to retreat to decrease power output thereof;
• the providing an aircraft, further comprising providing a lever having first and second ends and a pivot proximate the second end and positioned between the starboard and port pilot positions, the pivot defining a first axis of rotation parallel to the lateral axis, the lever being operably connected to control collective pitch of the rotary wing;
• the providing an aircraft, further comprising providing a handle connected proximate the first end and sized to be gripped selectively from the starboard and port pilot positions to control collective pitch by pivoting the lever, the handle secured to the lever proximate the first end of the lever and defining a first side and a second side offset from the lever along the lateral axis, the lever being positioned between the first and second side;
• the providing an aircraft, further comprising providing a throttle actuator, rotatably connected to the handle to be accessible and operable selectively from the starboard and port pilot positions, operable simultaneously with the lever while controlling collective pitch, rotating about an actuator axis parallel to the lateral axis, and advancing the throttle of the aircraft by rotating the top thereof forward along the longitudinal axis, the throttle actuator including a first throttle knob secured to the first side of the handle and a second throttle knob secured to the second side of the handle, the first and second throttle knobs both being rotatable about a second axis of rotational parallel to the first axis of rotation, the first and second throttle knobs being coupled by a common link to the throttle;
• arbitrarily selecting a selected pilot position from the starboard and port pilot positions;
• setting, by a pilot in the selected pilot position, both the throttle actuator and lever to effect setting the throttle and collective pitch to a spin-up position;
• simultaneously increasing, by the pilot in the selected pilot position, the collective pitch by lifting of the lever while advancing throttle by rotating the top of the throttle actuator forward along the longitudinal axis;
• taking off by the aircraft;
• setting, by the pilot, the collective pitch to a cruise position by moving the lever down upon the aircraft achieving a speed at which lift from the fixed wing supports most of the weight of the aircraft;
• and
• advancing the throttle to increase speed of the aircraft while simultaneously decreasing collective pitch to a minimum value insufficient to support half the weight of the aircraft by rotating either of the first and second throttle knobs.

A method for controlling an aircraft comprising:

• providing an aircraft comprising
• a fuselage, having a starboard pilot position and a port pilot position for accommodating pilots, the fuselage defining a longitudinal axis extending fore and aft, a lateral axis extending orthogonally therefrom, and a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal and lateral axes and extending substantially vertically,
• an engine, having a throttle configured to advance to increase power output thereof and to retreat to decrease power output thereof,
• a rotary wing, connected to the fuselage and sized to fully support the weight of the aircraft at takeoff,
• the rotary wing, operable to reduce drag thereof at an advance ratio greater than one by effecting a reduction of lift therefrom to less than half the force required to support the aircraft in flight,
• a fixed wing, connected to the fuselage and sized to fully support the weight of the aircraft at an advance ratio greater than one;
• providing a lever having first and second ends, and a pivot proximate the second end, the pivot defining a first axis of rotation parallel to the lateral axis and being positioned between the starboard and port pilot positions, and the lever being operably connected to control collective pitch of the rotary wing;
• providing a handle connected proximate the first end and sized to be gripped selectively from the starboard and port pilot positions to control collective pitch by pivoting the lever, the handle secured to the lever proximate the first end of the lever and defining a first side and a second side offset from the lever along the lateral axis, the lever being positioned between the first and second side;
• providing a throttle actuator, rotatably connected to the handle to be accessible and operable selectively from the starboard and port pilot positions, operable simultaneously with the lever while controlling collective pitch, rotating about an actuator axis parallel to the lateral axis, and advancing the throttle of the aircraft by rotating the top thereof forward along the longitudinal axis, the throttle actuator including a first throttle knob secured to the first side of the handle and a second throttle knob secured to the second side of the handle, the first and second throttle knobs both being rotatable about a second axis of rotational parallel to the first axis of rotation, the first and second throttle knobs being coupled by a common link to the throttle;
• selecting a selected position from the starboard and port pilot positions;
• setting the throttle to an idle position by the pilot in the selected position using a knob of the first and second throttle knob closest to the selected position;
• setting the throttle to a spin-up position subsequent to setting the throttle to the idle position;
• setting, by the pilot in the selected position, the collective pitch to a takeoff position while simultaneously adjusting the throttle by rotating the throttle actuator;
• taking off by the aircraft being lifted exclusively by the rotary wing;
• increasing the velocity of the aircraft above an advance ratio of one;
• and
• adjusting the collective pitch to load the fixed wing with about 90 percent of the weight of the aircraft and unload, correspondingly, the rotary wing.