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The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

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7.4 Compass errors<br />

A mag<strong>net</strong>ic compass is simple and reliable and needs no power, but it has a number <strong>of</strong><br />

characteristics that need to be understood if it is to be used correctly. <strong>The</strong> compass can<br />

only align itself to <strong>the</strong> field it experiences. If something external to <strong>the</strong> compass disturbs<br />

<strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> that field, <strong>the</strong> compass cannot know and will point to a false north. <strong>The</strong><br />

result is known as deviation and should not be confused with variation. This is shown in<br />

Figure 7.4(c). A helicopter contains a wealth <strong>of</strong> components that are necessarily mag<strong>net</strong>ized<br />

such as <strong>the</strong> mag<strong>net</strong>os, <strong>the</strong> alternator, <strong>the</strong> electric fuel pump, <strong>the</strong> motors in <strong>the</strong><br />

trim system and gyroscopic instruments and <strong>the</strong> moving coil drive units in <strong>the</strong> headsets.<br />

Additionally many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> parts <strong>of</strong> a helicopter whilst not mag<strong>net</strong>ic <strong>the</strong>mselves are<br />

ferrous and can distort <strong>the</strong> earth’s field by <strong>the</strong>ir presence. Any steel tubing in <strong>the</strong> hull, <strong>the</strong><br />

engine and gearbox and <strong>the</strong> crankshaft, con rods and gears are all ferrous. Aluminium,<br />

brass, glass fibre and plastics are non-ferrous and have no effect.<br />

<strong>The</strong> sum <strong>of</strong> all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helicopter’s structure on <strong>the</strong> compass determines <strong>the</strong><br />

deviation. Before a helicopter can be released to service <strong>the</strong> deviation must be measured<br />

and displayed on a deviation card (Figure 7.4(d)) mounted next to <strong>the</strong> compass. <strong>The</strong><br />

deviation card is completed at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> a procedure called swinging <strong>the</strong> compass.<br />

<strong>The</strong> helicopter is taken away from buildings and aligned with each cardinal point in<br />

turn. <strong>The</strong> deviation due to <strong>the</strong> machine’s own mag<strong>net</strong>ism can be detected by this process<br />

as at some points it will increase <strong>the</strong> compass reading and at o<strong>the</strong>r points it will reduce<br />

it. Sometimes <strong>the</strong> deviation can be reduced by <strong>the</strong> installation <strong>of</strong> ferrous compensators<br />

adjacent to <strong>the</strong> compass, but in any case <strong>the</strong> remaining deviation must be measured<br />

every 30 ◦ and recorded on <strong>the</strong> deviation card. This should be done with <strong>the</strong> engine<br />

running as a rotating permanent mag<strong>net</strong> has less effect than when it is stationary. Since<br />

radios can also generate mag<strong>net</strong>ic fields, <strong>the</strong>se must be tested for deviation effects.<br />

It was stated above that <strong>the</strong> dip <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> compass is overcome provided <strong>the</strong> disc stays<br />

horizontal. Unfortunately <strong>the</strong>re are occasions in <strong>the</strong> normal flight <strong>of</strong> a helicopter when<br />

this is not <strong>the</strong> case and <strong>the</strong> compass dip is not overcome but acts to give an erroneous<br />

reading. <strong>The</strong> problem is caused whenever <strong>the</strong> machine accelerates in a horizontal plane.<br />

<strong>The</strong> acceleration can be due to a speed change or due to flying at steady speed in a turn.<br />

Figure 7.5(a) shows a helicopter which has just taken <strong>of</strong>f and is accelerating forwards.<br />

<strong>The</strong> rotor thrust is inclined well forward and is accelerating <strong>the</strong> machine in a horizontal<br />

plane. <strong>The</strong> helicopter hangs from <strong>the</strong> rotor head like a pendulum, and <strong>the</strong> compass<br />

disc CM hangs from <strong>the</strong> pivot in <strong>the</strong> same way. As a result <strong>the</strong> compass disc in a pure<br />

helicopter usually stays very nearly parallel to <strong>the</strong> cockpit floor. <strong>The</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tilted<br />

disc during acceleration depends on <strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> flight and <strong>the</strong> hemisphere in which<br />

<strong>the</strong> machine is flying. If <strong>the</strong> machine in <strong>the</strong> example were to be heading 000 ◦ M <strong>the</strong><br />

disc tilt will be in <strong>the</strong> same direction as <strong>the</strong> dip and <strong>the</strong>re is no effect. However, in<br />

<strong>the</strong> example here <strong>the</strong> machine accelerates along 270M and <strong>the</strong> disc is inclined west<br />

down/east up. <strong>The</strong> vertical component <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> earth’s field will rotate <strong>the</strong> north pole<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> disc downwards and increase <strong>the</strong> heading shown against <strong>the</strong> lubber line. In <strong>the</strong><br />

sou<strong>the</strong>rn hemisphere, or if accelerating east, <strong>the</strong> opposite effect is obtained and <strong>the</strong><br />

heading shown will reduce. On <strong>the</strong> equator <strong>the</strong> effect is absent.<br />

Acceleration in <strong>the</strong> horizontal plane will also occur in a banked turn, which is <strong>the</strong><br />

only kind <strong>of</strong> turn a helicopter can make at speed. Figure 7.5(b) shows a helicopter in<br />

a sharp bank to port. As <strong>the</strong> nose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> machine passes through mag<strong>net</strong>ic north <strong>the</strong><br />

acceleration is to <strong>the</strong> west and <strong>the</strong> disc tilts west down/east up. <strong>The</strong> vertical component<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> earth’s field once more rotates <strong>the</strong> disc down at <strong>the</strong> north pole and increases <strong>the</strong><br />

heading displayed.<br />

Control 267

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