Page 28 - Flight International (January 2020)

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS H160

New model includes host of automated
features, such as recovery mode, designed
to reduce pilot workload and boost safety

collective – is still required to arrest the heli-
copter in its final metres of descent. Similarly,
the autopilot is not engaged all the way to the
ground, with the pilot taking over once the
H160 is hovering in ground effect.
“Once again it is a choice: we are not ready
to go all the way to the ground,” he says.
That philosophy also applies to another
safety feature – the vortex ring state (VRS) de-
tection system. VRS occurs when a helicop-
ter’s speed is allowed to decay and the aircraft
begins descending uncontrollably through its
own downwash. The H160’s VRS detection
system analyses several parameters while in
manual flight to predict the situation 10s
ahead if there is no intervention. The system
then provides aural and visual warnings, giv-
ing the pilot 5-7s to react before entering VRS.
While flying with the autopilot engaged
prevents the helicopter from entering VRS,
there is no automated safety net for manual
flight: if the pilot chooses to take no action
after receiving the warning, VRS remains the
eventual outcome.
Gensse says this is to allow the pilot to per-
form certain manouevres that an automated
system might otherwise try to prevent.
In addition, the complexity of additional
automated features – and the maturity of the
technology – could have prevented timely de-
Airbus Helicopters livery of the H160. That could also have re-
sulted in delivering a system to customers
that overpromised but underdelivered, he
says. “If we are going too fast, we have to be
“we have to work on it” in order to reduce the to Airbus Helicopters. These include the sure we are not giving a device that is not per-
noise of operation; an unanticipated side- recovery mode function already in use on the fect for the customer. If it doesn’t work, pilots
effect of the helicopter itself being quieter is H175 super-medium-twin. Once triggered – won’t use it.”
that it no longer masks the sound of the via a simple double-click on the cyclic control
climate control operating. – recovery mode quickly returns the helicop- STRONG AND STABLE
But amid all the focus on the rear of the air- ter to its previous heading, speed and altitude. However, for all the automation, key to the
craft, pilots have not been forgotten either and This, Gensse says, was implemented after H160’s performance, Gensse believes, is the
gain a toolbox of avionics enhancements analysis of incidents in degraded visual envi- stability of the helicopter itself. He notes that
designed to reduce their workload. ronments such as brown- or white-out condi- it can be flown without either the autopilot or
“It is very simple. If you don’t have so tions, or other situations where a pilot loses stability augmentation system.
many actions to perform, you can’t make so orientation. However, he cautions that it is not It is also “beautifully balanced”, he says,
many mistakes and you are better able to a panacea and is limited by physics: if the with its natural position near to horizontal; an
manage all situations,” says Gensse. helicopter is descending quickly close to the equilibrium facilitated during the develop-
ground, recovery mode will not save it. ment process by moving the avionics bay into
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY “It is going to do its bit, but the limit is the nose. That translates to a helicopter that
Underpinning the functionality improve- physics. The spirit is that if you are not flying can easily be recovered from extreme situa-
ments is the manufacturer’s design philoso- well you should use it,” he says. tions and renders incidents such as engine
phy, explains Gensse. “I think in Airbus Heli- Automated take-offs have also been added failure “non-events”.
copters it is really important for us to have a to the H160’s repertoire, taking the aircraft all Gensse’s memory of the early days of the
very simple system in front of the pilot but the way up to the decision height; and if there programme is illustrative of its maturity: on
behind it a very complicated architecture is an engine failure the helicopter will auto- the H160’s initial test flight (as opposed to the
to monitor and manage the whole of the matically recover, either descending to a pre- simple hovering of its maiden sortie) it was
[aircraft] system.” set point (with an accuracy of 0.5m) or allow- taken to 140kt (260km/h); an “incredible”
The usual blizzard of acronyms – HTAWS, ing a departure if that is the safer option. achievement, he says.
TCAS II, SVS and so on – are present, but the However, although the system is automat- “It is not possible to imagine that speed on
H160 also gains a number of features unique ed, pilot intervention – a big handful of a first [full] flight,” he says. ■

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