Mechanical flight control auxiliary power assist system
A mechanical flight control system for a rotary-wing aircraft is disclosed. The flight control system comprises an upstream portion, a downstream portion, and a booster means for connecting the upstream portion to the downstream portion. The booster means may comprise dual concentric valve actuators and/or a variety of system load limiting features.
1. A mechanical flight control system for an aircraft, comprising:
an upstream portion having an upstream portion friction;
a downstream portion having a downstream portion friction; and
a boosting means for connecting the upstream portion to the downstream portion, the boosting means comprising a boost assembly, the boost assembly comprising:
a mount for connecting the boost assembly to the aircraft;
an input lever connected to the upstream portion and hingedly connected to the mount;
an output lever connected to the downstream portion and hingedly connected to the mount;
a hydraulic unit connected to the input lever and to the output lever, the hydraulic unit having a hinged portion that is hingedly connected to the mount, and further having a translating portion that is connected to the hinged portion such that the translating portion can translate along the hinged portion.
2. The mechanical flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the upstream portion is adapted to accept cyclical control input.
3. The mechanical flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the downstream portion is adapted to output cyclical control output.
4. The mechanical flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic unit comprises a hydraulic actuator.
5. The mechanical flight control system of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic actuator is a dual concentric valve hydraulic actuator.
6. The mechanical flight control system of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic actuator is adapted to port pressure to a return channel before a selected system load is achieved.
7. The mechanical flight control system of claim 4 , wherein the boosting means is adapted to prevent system freeplay due to a loss of a hydraulic supply pressure.
8. The mechanical flight control system of claim 7 , wherein the boosting means comprises a control piston adapted for automatic retraction when a selected hydraulic supply pressure is not supplied to the boosting means.
9. The mechanical flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the upstream portion and downstream portion are adapted such that the upstream portion friction is a value lower than the downstream portion friction.
10. The mechanical flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the boosting means is incorporated into a load path parallel to a conventional load path.
11. The mechanical flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the translating portion of the hydraulic unit is hingedly connected to the output lever and the hinged portion of the hydraulic unit is connected to the input lever.
12. The mechanical flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the boost assembly is a longitudinal boost assembly, and wherein the boosting means further comprises a lateral boost assembly.
13. A method of improving a mechanical characteristic of a mechanical flight control system, comprising the steps of:
identifying a conventional mechanical flight control system having a detrimentally high system friction value; and
integrating a boosting means parallel to a conventional load path, the conventional load path connecting a mechanical flight control system input and an associated output,
wherein the boosting means comprises a boost assembly, the boost assembly comprising:
a mount for connecting the boost assembly to the aircraft;
an input lever connected to the upstream portion and hingedly connected to the mount;
an output lever connected to the downstream portion and hingedly connected to the mount;
a hydraulic unit connected to the input lever and to the output lever, the hydraulic unit having a hinged portion that is hingedly connected to the mount, and further having a translating portion that is connected to the hinged portion such that the translating portion can translate along the hinged portion.
14. The method of improving a mechanical characteristic of a mechanical flight control system of claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
adapting the boosting means to maintain an existing input/output leverage ratio between at least two selected mechanical control system elements.
15. The method of improving a mechanical characteristic of a mechanical flight control system of claim 13 , wherein the hydraulic unit comprises a hydraulic actuator.