Presentation title – file name – datePage 1© 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
Defence Electronics department
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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:
Defence Electronics department
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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 “
Defence Electronics department
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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.
Defence Electronics department
Presentation title – file name – datePage 5© E
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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
Defence Electronics department
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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
Defence Electronics department
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HELLAS – Product Family
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
Defence Electronics department
Presentation title – file name – datePage 8© E
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HELLAS – Product Family
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:
Defence Electronics department
Presentation title – file name – datePage 9© E
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HELLAS – Product Family
• 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
Defence Electronics department
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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
Defence Electronics department
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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.
Defence Electronics department
Presentation title – file name – datePage 12© E
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The second safety issue to adress
Loss of visual reference by• Brownout (Sand)• Whiteout (Snow)
Defence Electronics department
Presentation title – file name – datePage 13© E
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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
Defence Electronics department
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The Risk – Degraded Visual Environment
Typical Flight Scenario into Brownout Condition
Defence Electronics department
Presentation title – file name – datePage 15© E
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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
Defence Electronics department
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Clear view to landing zone in brown-out
Hellas brown-out support with HMSD
Defence Electronics department
Presentation title – file name – datePage 17© E
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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.