ec155 quiet landing procedure eurocopter

Eurocopter has developed a new flight guidance concept for quieter helicopter landing procedures, which rely on augmented satellites information.

The new landing procedures were successfully demonstrated with a twin-engine EC155 rotorcraft during flight tests performed as part of the company’s participation in the Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator programme.

The validation flights showed substantial reductions in the helicopter’s perceived sound footprint, consistent with predictions.

In addition, the flight demonstrated that such automated low-noise approaches could be tailored to local environmental requirements, optimising Eurocopter helicopter operations for the most sensitive environments.

Testing involved the use of optimised noise abatement flight paths compatible with instrument flight rules (IFR) operations.

During the EC155’s landing approaches, the vertical guidance was supplied by EGNOS, the European satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), along with the helicopter’s flight management system (FMS) and automatic flight control system (AFCS).

This allowed the new approach profiles to be flown accurately, minimising the workload for the pilot, with an automatic monitoring of speed profiles and ascent or descent rates.

"Improving the neighbour-friendly aspects of rotorcraft continues to be a priority for us, and these new tests underscore how advanced flight guidance systems can be brought together with the latest navigation technologies to reduce perceived sound."

Eurocopter Research vice-president Yves Favennec said: "Improving the neighbour-friendly aspects of rotorcraft continues to be a priority for us, and these new tests underscore how advanced flight guidance systems can be brought together with the latest navigation technologies to reduce perceived sound."

The Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator programme, which supported Eurocopter’s EC155 flight evaluations, is part of the Europe’s Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative.

The goal of the initiative is to develop advanced technologies that significantly increase environmental performance of the air transport sector, resulting in quieter and more fuel efficient aircraft and rotorcraft.

Eurocopter is a founding member of the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative and recently joined with its other members to propose an extension of this effort during the 2014-2024 time period.


Image: The validation flights of new landing procedures showed substantial reductions in the helicopter’s perceived sound footprint, consistent with predictions. Photo: courtesy of Eurocopter.

Defence Technology