Page 1 © EADS Presentation title – file name – date Defence Electronics department Closing two...

Presentation title – file name – date© E

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Defence Electronics department

Closing two mayor safety gaps in helicopter VFR flights

S. Scherbarth, K. Schulz, EADS Deutschland GmbH,

88039 Friedrichshafen, Germany



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The wire and pole problem in VFR flights

The Visual Flight Regulations is based on the “see and avoid” concept for safe helicopter flight.

Close to ground there are hard to see obstacles like poles or masts and obstacles like wires not perceivable at all by itself.

Obviously, for these obstacles see and avoid does not work due to the deficits in the unaided human “see”.

This is clearly visible in the accident statistics:



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The size of the safety gap

The in-flight collision with obstacles caused 15,7% of all U.S. civil rotorcraft accidents 1963-1997. This is the second largest cause of accidents just after loss of engine power (28.5%) (1)

In-flight collisions with wires and poles are the main cause of all in flight collisions with obstacles contributing to 53% of all these accidents (1)

Therefore, next after loss of engine power we talk about the largest single safety problem causing 8.3% of all accidents 1963-1997 (1)

(1) NASA/TM-2000-209597, “ U.S.Civil Rotorcraft Accidents 1963 through 1997 “



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It is time to update the VFR definition

Since the historic VFR definition, the situation has changed:

The density of poles (mobile antenna masts), windmills and wires has increased significantly and helicopter missions changed more to close to ground missions with landing in unknown terrain (EMS, SAR, Police, ..)

With active obstacle warning systems there are certified, technical means readily available to close the mayor safety gap caused by wire and pole collision.



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HELLAS – Active Obstacle Warning Product Family

FLIR

Control Panel

HELLAS-W HELLAS-A

Sensor- and Electronic unit

Warning Indicator

Warning Management

Caution display

Video Display

Video Display

Acoustic alarm generator

Communication Management

EW System - Blanking

Navigation System AHRS

Navigation System IRS

Collective

NVG/Night mode

NVG/Night mode

Avionic bus

Control Panel

HMS/DPLT&CPLT

OWS

MFDON OFF MFD MODE

MAX HMS/D OBS

ON OFF

MFDON OFFAUDIO

999FT

AUTO DE-ICINGON OFF

1O

MFD OBS SL MARGINWR/PL OWS

HMS/D FOV

DKU

System architecture



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HELLAS – Product Family

Performances

Field of ViewVertical: 42°Horizontal: 36°

Line of Sight range AZ: 12°

Field of RegardVertical: 42°Horizontal: 60°

Max. Range of Sensor: 1200 m

Scan frequency: 3 Hz

Weight: 21-24 kg

Power consumption: < 280 VA Window Heating 50 VA

Classification of Obstacles multiple ObstaclesHistory function: multiple Obstacles

Detection 5 mm wires up to 700 m @12km visib.

Field of ViewVertical: 32°Horizontal: 31.5°

Line of Sight range EL: +10°/ -20°

Field of RegardVertical: 62°Horizontal: 31.5°

Max. Range of Sensor: 1050 m

Scan frequency: 2 Hz

Weight: 27,4 kg

Power consumption: < 160 VA Window Heating N/A

Classification of Obstacles High Risk History function: 8 s

Detection 10 mm wires up to 500 m @12km visib.

HELLAS-W HELLAS-A



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NORMALNormal Operating during Cruising Flight

APPROACHOperation Take-off and Landing

ONHELLAS Power ON

OFFHELLAS Power OFF

MODE:OFF Power OffSTBY/SN Standby/SnapshotSL Safety Line-ModeWR/PL Wire/Pole-ModeTREE Tree-Mode

HMS/D-SYM:Control for symbology on the HMS/D’s

DR/WR:Setting Display Range andWarning Range

HELLAS-W HELLAS-A

NORMAL

APPROACHOFF

OWS

ON

OFF

HMS/D-SYM MODE D/W

PLT CPLT

BOTH ON

O W S

O W S

OFF

TREE WR/PL SL

SN STBY D+

W

D-

+ - W

OWS

MFDON OFF MFD MODE

MAX HMS/D OBS

ON OFF

MFDON OFFAUDIO

999FT

AUTO DE-ICINGON OFF

1O

MFD OBS SL MARGINWR/PL OWS

HMS/D FOV

Command and Control



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Display

Warning Indicator

Indication whether there is an obstacle warning on the left, center or right field in front of

the helicopter

Safety Line Display on

HMS/D

Safety Line and Obstacles on HMS/D and MFD

Obstacle Display on

MFDAPCH

Flight Vector

Horizon

Safety Line

HELLAS-W HELLAS-A

At present optional:



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• HELLAS W is available off the shelf.

• More than 50 units sold in Europe, North America and Asia.

• Operational since 2003

• EASA and CAA certified according LBA-NTS02

(August 21, 2003)

• HELLAS A is in development for NH90, first flight 2006



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Conclusion

On of the conclusions of the NASA Study on U.S. Civil Rotorcraft Accidents 1963 through 1997 was:

“The authors (2) recommend that:

Flying below 750 feet (above ground level) be discouraged by the industry and regulatory agencies.

A low-price proximity spherical sensor be developed and certified; a sensor sphere of some large radius should , in effect, cocoon the helicopter and provide the pilot with sufficient warning to avoid obstacles “

(2) Franklin D. Harris, Eugene F. Kasper, and Laura E. Iseler



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Conclusion

With our HELLAS products we have developed the proposed proximity sensor to effectively cocoon the helicopter.

Therefore its now time to update the requirements for helicopters flying routinely missions below 750 feet.

For these helicopters the installation of an appropriate active obstacle warning system should be mandatory.

We believe its now overdue to close this mayor safety gap caused by in flight collisions with wires and poles.



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The second safety issue to adress

Loss of visual reference by• Brownout (Sand)• Whiteout (Snow)



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The size of the brown out / white out safety problem

(3) Brown out has been a mayor problem in recent military helicopter operations.

(4) It has been reported that “Brown-outs have claimed 28 US Army helicopters in Iraq” (3)

(5) 15% of all Class A accidents of the US-Army in 2002 – 2003 has been caused by brown outs. (4)

(6) Defense Helicopter, February / March 2004

(7) US Army Combat Readiness Center



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The Risk – Degraded Visual Environment

Typical Flight Scenario into Brownout Condition



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Principle of the Solution with Hellas (3)

Step 1Close to and during low speed landing approach the HELLAS gets a brown-out/white-out free sight to the landing area and accumulates a high resolution tree dimensional image of that area.

Step 2In case of upcoming brown/whiteout condition, the HELLAS system has gathered enough three dimensional area scan data in the internal buffer to create a HELLAS natural synthetic vision video of the landing area.

Step 3This synthetic vision video presents to the pilots an artificial three dimensional representation of the outside view correlated to his current position and inertial reference.

(3) U.S. Patent pending



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Clear view to landing zone in brown-out

Hellas brown-out support with HMSD



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Conclusion

HELLAS is capable to provide continuous visual reference for landing in brown-out or white-out conditions through a virtual view.

This virtual view is generated from an high resolution 3-D image of the landing zone in same way as in a state of the art flight simulator.

With this support no critical switching from visual reference to an abstract instrument reference is required when a brown-out condition occurs.

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