Flight Evaluation MK II Integrated Controller Installed in an OH-58A Helicopter.

摘要

This Activity conducted a limited handling qualities and pilot workload evaluation of the MK II integrated controller installed in an OH-58A helicopter. The evaluation consisted of 22 flights for 15.2 hours of productive flight test time. The OH-58A could be safely flown throughout the recommended flight envelope using the integrated controller. The pilot workload when using the integrated controller with two hands was not reduced from and was sometimes greater than the workload when using conventional controls for all maneuvers except level forward flight. Single hand control during flight and landing could be safely accomplished, but required increased pilot workload in all cases. The two most serious unsatisfactory characteristics identified were lack of an adequate system-decoupled warning and excessive workload during left sideward flight between approximately 15 to 25 knots true airspeed. Three unsatisfactory characteristics that contributed to the increased workload when using the integrated controller were excessive longitudinal and lateral integrated controller response and sensitivity, lack of control displacement harmony between the integrated controller cyclic and collective controls, and inadvertent cyclic control inputs with collective control movement. The reduced longitudinal and lateral control authority, which limited the aircraft's forward flight capability at aft center of gravity, rearward flight capability at forward center of gravity, and slope landing capability, was also an unsatisfactory characteristic. Eight additional unsatisfactory characteristics were also identified.