Description:
OBJECTIVE: Investigate and determine the optimal control law architecture and required amount of Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) partial authority needed to achieve ADS-33E-PRF Level 1 in the Degraded Visual Environment/Usable Cue Environment-2 (DVE/UCE-2) handling quality ratings with flight control augmentation on the OH-58F platform. DESCRIPTION: The cornerstone of a good degraded visual environment strategy and fixed design requirement per ADS-33E-PRF, is a Attitude Command Attitude Hold - Height Hold (ACAH-HH) augmentation mode to reduce the inner-loop workload of DVE pilotage. Traditionally, full authority systems have been employed to achieve DVE augmentation, but it has been proven that partial authority systems can also meet this requirement which saves on system weight and cost due to the removal of redundancy requirements. The key to implementing partial authority augmentation for DVE is to ensure target Handling Quality Ratings (HQRs) can be achieved while still meeting the emergency hard over recovery requirement. The intent of this effort is to determine the feasibility and limitations of a partial authority system as a DVE solution on the OH-58, predict and measure the actual authority amount required to meet Level 1 HQRs in the DVE/UCE-2, and derive a technical architecture model to be employed in a potential follow on program of record. PHASE I: Develop a white paper/feasibility study to model the OH-58D/F flight control system and apply a predictive computational method/tool to analyze and predict the amount of partial authority required for a 4-axis AFCS to achieve Level 1 handling quality ratings in the DVE/UCE-2 IAW ADS 33E-PRF. Select and compare multiple control law architectures and analyze performance trade-offs and benefit differences. Investigate and determine the most suitable hardware technology to implement the AFCS considering, current Stability Control Augmentation System (SCAS) architecture, weight, reliability, power availability, unit cost, and maturity. Ultimately, provide a recommendation for the best solution set(s) that meets the above criterion. PHASE II: Design, develop, and model a prototype AFCS on an OH-58 flight test aircraft based on the solutions recommended in Phase I. Perform flight test evaluation of the installed system per USNTPS-FTM-No. 107 and ADS-33E-PRF to validate predicted performance based on the solutions developed in Phase I. PHASE III: FY 17 time frame to support development of the OH 58 F Block II helicopter.
