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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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282 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Helicopter</strong><br />

coil. In this way <strong>the</strong> gyro is precessed until <strong>the</strong> signal in <strong>the</strong> secondary coil nulls and <strong>the</strong><br />

precession stops. At this point <strong>the</strong> display card will be showing <strong>the</strong> heading coming from<br />

<strong>the</strong> compass. <strong>The</strong> gain in <strong>the</strong> system will be quite low so that <strong>the</strong> gyro follows very slowly.<br />

In some units it is possible to rotate <strong>the</strong> three coils using a front panel variation control<br />

so that <strong>the</strong> DI card reads true heading ra<strong>the</strong>r than mag<strong>net</strong>ic. In most conditions tying<br />

<strong>the</strong> DI to mag<strong>net</strong>ic north is useful, but when flying very close to <strong>the</strong> mag<strong>net</strong>ic poles it<br />

may be better to turn <strong>the</strong> slaving <strong>of</strong>f and to rely on <strong>the</strong> earth rate and transport error<br />

compensation only. A switch will be provided for this purpose.<br />

A gyromag<strong>net</strong>ic compass may also form <strong>the</strong> heading reference for an autopilot. In<br />

this case <strong>the</strong> display unit has additional controls allowing <strong>the</strong> pilot to enter <strong>the</strong> desired<br />

heading. This is displayed with respect to <strong>the</strong> DI card markings by an indicator or bug<br />

on <strong>the</strong> periphery <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> instrument. If <strong>the</strong> autopilot is engaged and a new heading is<br />

selected, <strong>the</strong> machine will carry out a two-minute rate turn to <strong>the</strong> new heading at which<br />

point <strong>the</strong> bug will align with <strong>the</strong> lubber line <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> DI.<br />

7.14 <strong>The</strong> artificial horizon<br />

<strong>The</strong> artificial horizon is a gyroscopic instrument displaying a realistic copy <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong><br />

real horizon does for use in poor visibility. When <strong>the</strong> helicopter banks, <strong>the</strong> horizon<br />

in <strong>the</strong> display remains parallel to <strong>the</strong> real one. When <strong>the</strong> machine dives, <strong>the</strong> displayed<br />

horizon rises up <strong>the</strong> face <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> instrument. A small symbolic aircraft on <strong>the</strong> face <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> instrument <strong>the</strong>n has <strong>the</strong> same attitude to <strong>the</strong> horizon as <strong>the</strong> real one, and if <strong>the</strong><br />

pilot flies <strong>the</strong> symbolic aircraft <strong>the</strong> real one will follow. In a machine equipped with an<br />

autopilot, in addition to <strong>the</strong> visible display, <strong>the</strong> artificial horizon may provide attitude<br />

output signals that are fed into <strong>the</strong> control system to stabilize <strong>the</strong> flight attitude.<br />

<strong>The</strong> gyroscope in an artificial horizon must be compensated for drift. This is done<br />

by an erection mechanism to maintain <strong>the</strong> axis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gyro vertical with respect to<br />

gravity. For this reason, this type <strong>of</strong> instrument is sometimes called a vertical gyro. <strong>The</strong><br />

addition <strong>of</strong> gravity sensing creates what is known as an earth gyro. Figure 7.17 shows<br />

how gravity sensing works. <strong>The</strong> rotating wheel is fitted inside a case. Two small pendula<br />

are fitted to <strong>the</strong> case in such a way that <strong>the</strong>y can swing in orthogonal directions. <strong>The</strong><br />

electrically driven rotor is fitted with vanes at one end so that it acts as a centrifugal<br />

blower. Air from <strong>the</strong> blower is arranged to leave <strong>the</strong> casing at four equally spaced points.<br />

Each pendulum has two vanes that block or reveal <strong>the</strong> blower orifices. <strong>The</strong> vanes are<br />

Fig. 7.17 Gravity sensing is used in earth-tied instruments such as <strong>the</strong> artificial horizon. Small pendula (c) and<br />

(d) hang in <strong>the</strong> efflux (b) from a blower (a) built into <strong>the</strong> gyro rotor. If <strong>the</strong> rotor axis is not vertical <strong>the</strong> pendula<br />

will tilt and <strong>the</strong> reaction from <strong>the</strong> blower will be imbalanced so a precessive torque is created.

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