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:.·· ·Rockllvell 

· · Collins 

December 7, 2015 

U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations 

West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

---

400 Collins Road NE 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52498 

319.295.1000 

www.rockwellcollins.com 

Subject: Exemption Request for Rockwell Collins Under Section 333 of the FAA Modernization 

and Reform Act of 2012. 

Dear Sir or Madam, 

Rockwell Collins is pursuing research and development in novel all-service, all-weather landing 

systems that derive highly accurate three-dimensional position capable of being used for ILS (Instrument 

Landing System) style approaches in degraded visibility, primarily for Small Unmanned Aircraft System 

(SUAS) 1. The increases in accuracy and reliability will significantly enhance flight operations while 

reducing non-operational periods due to weather, ground equipage, or radio frequency interference. 

Elements of this research may also apply to manned operations. Further, these technologies could 

further the safe integration of SUAS into the NAS (National Airspace System), empowering the safety 

and efficiency objectives being pursued by section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. 

In accordance with 14 C.F.R. Part 11, Rockwell Collins kindly requests exemptions from several 

provisions of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) to allow operations of a SUAS in the NAS for 

purposes of research and development. Rockwell Collins submits this application requesting summary 

processing as the relief requested herein has been granted to other organizations. 2 

Current FAA rules grant a wide latitude of freedom to the hobbyist community to operate SUAS in 

an outdoor environment. Because Rockwell Collins is a commercial enterprise, we have been limited 

to perform indoor testing of research and development initiatives, or forcing use of our civil aircraft 

fleet, both of which are counterproductive options. Rockwell Collins has a well-established regulatory 

compliance culture. Our expertise with airborne systems and equipment certification brings a keen 

understanding of the importance of extensive security, planning, documentation and control of flight 

operations. 

Rockwell Collins proposes to operate the SUAS under following conditions: 

• In the United States 

• At least 5 miles away from towered airports (except with permission from air traffic control) and 

by monitoring nearby airport frequencies when tower is closed or a nearby airport is uncontrolled 

1in accordance with the terms of Public Law 112-95 2 Exemptions 11109, 11259, 11435 and others, authorize the commercial operation of a SUAS on terms and conditions 

that Rockwell Collins accepts. 

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• Below 400 feet of altitude above ground level •. 

• No less than 500 feet below, and 2000 feet horizontal separation from clouds 

• To give right of way to all other NAS activities, including but not limited to air ambulances 

• No faster than 80 knots calibrated airspeed 

• Within human visual line of sight 3 

• Under supervision of a Rockwell Collins employed, FAA certified pilot, with at least a current 

third-class medical certificate and meeting flight review requirements specified in 14 CFR §61.56, 

and in addition meeting specific experience in the operation of the specific SUAS. Prior documented 

flight experience that was obtained in compliance with applicable regulations may satisfy this 

requirement 

• Equipped with clearly illuminated position, anti-collision, and annunciator lights 

• Operated at pre-determined test ranges 

The exemption requested herein apply to civil aircraft that have the characteristics and that operate 

with the limitations listed. Said limitations provide at least equivalent, or higher, levels of safety to 

operations under the current regulatory structure. The scope of this request is narrow, limited to 

Rockwell Collins in the United States, and in compliance with all applicable regulations. Given the 

proven flight deck expertise and aviation heritage of Rockwell Collins, and the low risk nature of 

proposed operations, we kindly request FAA's full consideration of this exemption. If the FAA feels 

that Rockwell Collins should clarify, modify, or amend any regulations in this application, we would be 

happy to do so. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. 

Technical POC: 

Dr. Koray Celik 

Rockwell Collins 

400 Collins Road NE, MS 108-205 

Cedar Rapids, IA, 52498 

Telephone: 319-263-2853 

E-mail: koray.celik@rockwellcollins.com 

Administrative POC: 

Dr. Gary A. McGraw 

Rockwell Collins 

400 Collins Road NE, MS 108-205 

Cedar Rapids, IA, 52498 

Telephone: 319-295-4578 

E-mail: gary.mcgraw@rockwellcollins.com 

Information supporting this petition as specified in 14 C.F.R. §11.81 is provided in the following 

enclosures. 

Enclosures: 

Rockwell Collins 333 Exemption Request Supple 

Rockwell Collins SUAS Pilot's Operating Ha ook ( 

pproved for Federal Register) 

roprietary; Do Not Publish) 

3The SUAS shall be operated within visual line of sight, without the aid of vision range enhancing devices such as 

binoculars. Prescription corrective eyewear as specified on a medical certificate, sunglasses, protective goggles, are exempt 

from this clause. 

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December 7, 2015 

U.S. Department of Thansportation, Docket Operations 

West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Rockwell 

Collins 

Subject: Rockwell Collins 333 Exemption Request Supplement 

---

400 Collins Road NE 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52498 

319.295.1000 

www.rockwellcollins.com 

1 Information Supporting this Petition as Specified in 14 C.F .R. 

§11.81 

1.1 (a) Name and mailing address and, other contact information such as a fax 

number, telephone number, or e-mail address; 

Technical POC: 

Dr. Koray Celik 

Rockwell Collins 

400 Collins Road NE, MS 108-205 

Cedar Rapids, lA, 52498 

Telephone: 319-263-2853 

E-mail: koray.celik@rockwellcollins.com 

Administrative POC: 

Dr. Gary A. McGraw 

Rockwell Collins 

400 Collins Road NE, MS 108-205 

Cedar Rapids, lA, 52498 

Telephone: 319-295-4578 

E-mail: gary.mcgraw@rockwellcollins.com 

1.2 (b) The specific section or sections of 14 CFR from which Rockwell Collins 

seeks an exemption; 

Please see Table 1 for a listing of the sections of 14 CFR affected. Apart from regulations either 

unnecessary as moot or deemed incorporated herein, we believe an exemption from the regulations 

summarized in Table 1 is sufficient to conduct the research and development described. To the extent, 

however, that the FAA may deem it necessary, we also request an exemption from any regulations 

ancillary to the foregoing that might be needed to facilitate the desired operations. Given the nature 

of the specific relief sought by this exemption request, and the particulars of our desired testing 

operations and proposed safeguards, Rockwell Collins also kindly requests for relief from any associated 

or implementing requirements of several related provisions that may otherwise be applicable, to the 

extent FAA finds it necessary to grant this request. 

1.3 (c) The extent of relief Rockwell Collins seeks, and the reason Rockwell Collins 

seeks the relief; 

We seek an exemption from the several interrelated provisions of 14 CFR parts 21, 45 and 91 to the 

extent necessary to engage in internal research and development of novel avionics solutions for a broad 

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Table 1: Exemption Request Summary Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 14 

14CFRPart & Regulation Description Rationale for Exempt10n Requested 

Subpart 

11 General rulemaking procedures Public rulemaking procedures 5 U.S.CJ. 553 observed by Rockwell 

Collins while preparing this request. 

21 O<ubpart 11 Expcnmcnta certificates ~imtted scope o operatwnal use of_"::;~_U_-:~C would be counterpro~ 

and 21.191(a) ductive for both FAA and Rockwell Collins resources considering 

the rapid development nature of the SUAS in question. 

!~:;~(b) and Display of Marks; General ( Size of marks Umquc aspects o SUA~ acs1gn ana connguratwn maKe compliance 

with markings a challenge. Markings and numbers shall be made as 

large as practicable within the limits of SUAS fuselage. 

47.3 \b) Aircra t registratwn ~Ugibility ot experimental :SUA:S or registration under 49 U.::;.v. 

44101-44104. 

61.113(a) and Private pilot privileges and limitations: Pilot in Due to the simple, low-altitude, and low-risk nature of our SUAS, 

(b) command it is an unnecessary burden on company resources to pull Rockwell 

Collins employed airline transport pilots into this operation. We 

propose our systems engineers operate the SUAS, at least one of 

which with an FAA private pilot certification. They have neither 

been hired nor compensated for private pilot duties, but to develop 

avionics. 

91.3 Responsibility and authority of the pilot in com- SUA.S testing under th1s exemption to be conducted under supervimand sian of dedicated pilot(s) in command with current FAA certificate 

or FAA recognized equivalent under 14 CFR §61(e) 

91.7 t.;ivil a1rcra t airworthiness .H.egu atory standards or determining ::;U A::; airworthiness to be established and applied by Rockwell Collins. 

91.9[b) Civil_ atrcraft fiight manual, marking, and p acard Rockwell Collins Pi at Operatton Handbook, and _ltockwell u_ollins 

requirements Maintenance Manual shall be used, and kept on location of SUAS 

operations. 

91.103 PrcHight actiOn ltockwell collins Pilot s Uperatmg _ Handbook is to be used for 

proper preflight actions such as checklists. 

91.105 Flight crewmembers at stations t.;rewmember stations are located on ground ~vchic e mounted) and 

safety belts are not applicable. 

91.109 Flight m•tructwn; Simulated instrument flight and The Rockwell Coums ::>UA::> allows a dual set of controls, w1th the 

certain flight tests ability on left controls (instructor controls) to disable right controls 

(student controls) for training purposes. The same control deck can 

91.119(c) Minimum safe altitudes: General 

operational 

also 

Civil 

be 

aircraft 

connected 

training. 

may not 

to 

be 

a sophi::;ticated 

operated closer 

flight 

than 

simulator 

500 eet to 

for 

any 

sufficient 

person, • 

vessel, vehicle, or structure. Rockwell Collins proposes the SUAS to 

be operated under 400 feet, with notification of all residing tenets 

and access control top operations. 

91.121 Altimeter ::;ettings RocKwell vouins is a eader in military (..j-.1-"'::S systems and proposes to 

use proprietary satellite based technologies to derive SUAS altitude 

capabilities, which are significantly more precise than barometric 

measurements. 

91.144 Temporary re::;tnctiOn on tt1gnt operation::; aurmg ttoc1<we11 vo111ns proposes sate1ute oasea tecnno og1es to aenve 

abnormally high barometric pressure conditions SUAS altitude capabilities which do not depend on barometric conditions . 

\H.151[a)(1) Fue requtrements or Hight m V F lt conditwns .l<~A. regu at10ns reqmre a 30 mmute mmimum ue reserve. ~<:>nsidering the 400 feet operations ceiling, the SUAS has safe landing 

capability with a 10 minute reserve (not intended as a landing fuel 

target). 

91.203(a) and Civil aircraft: Certifications req·uired SUA.S operations are above civil safety standards considering size, 

(b) weight, speed, ceiling, and restricted nature of operations. 

91.209 Aircraft ights "t;~--':~ shall _be equipped with clear y illuminated position, anticollision, and annunciator lights as large and bright as practicable. 

91.405(aJ lV!aintenance required Applicable to aircraft with airworthiness certificates. Maintenance 

is to be performed by Rockwell Collins employed and trained technicians based on pre-flight dh;crepancies if any. 

91.407(a)\1J Operation atter maintenance, preventive mainte- un y app icable to a1rcra t witn airworthiness certincates. Flight 

nance, rebuilding, or alteration tests after any maintenance shall be performed by the pilot and 

recorded in the SUAS flight log as a maintenance test flight. 

91.409(a)l1) and Inspections APJ?_Hcable to aircr~tt with airworthiness certihcates. Inspections 

(2) shall be performed by the pilot on a regular basis, in accordance 

with the Rockwell Collins Pilot's Operating Handbook. 

Yl.417(aJ ana lVJ.alntenance recoras un y app ICab!e to a1rcra t w1th a1rwortnmess certificates. Any 

(b) maintenance performed over the SU AS shall be recorded on a maintenance log to be maintained in Rockwell Collins records. 

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range of SUAS. Said new technologies are going to address aviation problems in the terminal phase 

of landing approach for SUAS. As a part of this effort we intend to outfit an industrial grade remote 

controlled helicopter with said systems and perform very low altitude testing (400 feet and below). 

The nature of our intended operations are research oriented rather than commercially oriented, and 

are such that they would have been expressly permitted for recreational use. 

Rockwell Collins SUAS will not create a hazard to users of the national airspace system or the 

public or pose a threat to national security, and is consistent with the congressional mandate in Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which gives FAA a mechanism to allow 

certain SUAS to operate safely in the national airspace system. Rockwell Collins has developed a 

significant set of safeguards to apply to our SUAS research and development efforts. Operations under 

these safeguards will provide for a level of safety consistent with civilian aviation regulations that 

FAA currently authorizes, and due to unique nature of SUAS, without requiring compliance with the 

regulations from which we seek an exemption. 

While Rockwell Collins also intends to use one or more of the FAA selected test sites in the United 

States, and (in long term) seek a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category, at this 

stage in the effort doing so would prove impractical for Rockwell Collins as our sole or even primary 

method of research and development testing. Further, doing so would also unnecessarily tax scarce 

FAA resources. It is also unnecessary to burden both the FAA and Rockwell Collins if we were required 

to apply for a special airworthiness certificate for every SUAS design or testing configuration while we 

are in research and development phase, and the SUAS itself is subject to rapid prototyping. 

1.4 (d) The reasons why granting Rockwell Collins [the) request would be in the 

public interest; that is, how it would benefit the public as a whole; 

SUAS literature has demonstrated diverse and numerous civil applications that are in the national interest of the United States. While the commercial use of SUAS in the NAS has the potential to unlock 

substantial opportunities to the nation for economic growth, scientific leadership, and technological 

superiority, barriers remain in terms of ensuring the safe integration of SUAS in the NAS, including 

SUAS avionics with an appropriate level of certification. Rockwell Collins has the capability and expertise to develop miniaturized versions of certifiable avionics technologies, setting the new standards 

in the industry for safety, reliability, and quality. Therefore, granting Rockwell Collins this benefit 

would be in the public interest. 

Rockwell Collins has been participating in the NASA Unmanned 'Iraffic Management (UTM) system and working in close collaboration with the FAA to understand the requirements for SUAS avionics 

solutions. These avionics solutions comprise key enabling technologies NASA is going to depend on 

in order to be able to demonstrate UTM concepts and have a formal technology transfer to FAA in 

the near future. As part of the research and development that Rockwell Collins is undertaking, we 

will be addressing the safe recovery of SUAS in degraded environmental conditions, including both 

meteorological and in terms of radio frequency interference to GPS and communications. 

In summary granting this exemption to Rockwell Collins for its research and development purposes 

is in public interest for several reasons, including, but not limited to: 

• develops means to achieve required navigation performance and situational awareness in degraded 

visibility conditions and when GPS is unavailable; 

• novellandbased, airborne, and shipborne SUAS launch and retrieval capabilities are enabled 

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• preferred use of SU AS in high threat operations increases 

• loss of SUAS in combat is reduced therefore protecting US sensitive technologies 

• general aviation pilots can be alerted to the precise position and intent of SUAS 

• enables development of new and improved "sense and avoid" capabilities1 

• safe civilian low altitude SUAS operations are enabled 

• new jobs and markets are created, accelerating demand and thereby research and development 

of SU AS technology 

1.5 (e) The reasons why granting the exemption would not adversely affect safety, 

or how the exemption would provide a level of safety at least equal to that 

provided by the rule from which you seek the exemption; 

1.5.1 Safe Test Ranges 

Rockwell Collins proposes to select SU AS test ranges to be located at least 5 nautical miles away from 

aviation activities such as airports, while also remaining well clear from densely populated areas. We 

propose to operate the SUAS in: (i} the area highlighted on Figure 1, (ii} applicable sectors of the 

Rockwell Collins Headquarters Campus; and (iii} applicable Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) 

sanctioned flight fields. 

Our campus is located 14 miles north of KCID, and covers more than 160 acres. Full scale heli-

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copters as large as the C-47 Chinook have been accommodated on our campus before, as shown in • 

Figure 2. The area where we intend to perform the majority of our testing is approximately four miles 

north of our campus, and is surrounded by agricultural fields with vast open class-G airspace, and is 

not a populated area. When operated in such areas, granting the exemption would not adversely affect 

safety of the N AS. 

1.5.2 Limited Scope of Operations 

Rockwell Collins proposes to be a direct and sole operator of SUAS, with an immediate need for the 

requested exemption for internal research and development. Rockwell Collins proposes to: 

• directly operate the UAS for business research and development only 

• by Rockwell Collins employees only 

• for the immediate benefit of Rockwell Collins only 

Rockwell Collins shall not provide any SUAS services as: 

• compensation or hire 

• indirect service provider 

• contractor 

Rockwell Collins employee(s) operating the SUAS, cannot, and shall not: 

1not to be confused with "see and avoid" 

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Figure 1: Proposed Rockwell Collins SUAS Test Asset operations areas, shown in orange circle, North 

of and outside KCID Class-C airspace transition. This area consists of many square miles of agricultural 

flatlands. Approximate centroid coordinates for the circular area are 42.156240, -91.618253. A model 

aviation airstrip is located at 42.089454, -91.645055. Radius of operations area about centroid is 

approximately 6.5 statue miles. 

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Figure 2: Top: A US Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate EH-601 Black Hawk near 

Rockwell Collins hangar in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bottom: A CH-47F Chinook from PM Cargo at 

Redstone Arsenal, landing at Rockwell Collins campus for the Rockwell Collins Common Avionics 

Architecture System (CAAS). The rotor blades on a Chinook helicopter are about 60 feet in diameter 

with enough internal cargo space for two Humvee units, in comparison with the 7 feet rotor span of 

our proposed SUAS Test Asset. 

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• transport persons 

• transport property 

The scope of this request is narrow, limited to Rockwell Collins in the United States, and in compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local regulations. Given the proven flight deck expertise 

and aviation heritage of Rockwell Collins, the secure and regulated nature of Rockwell Collins facilities, and the low risk nature of proposed operations, we kindly request FAA's full consideration of this 

exemption. 

The proposed SUAS is an industrial grade helicopter with maximum gross take-off weight in excess 

of 40 pounds (but below 55 pounds at all times) including payload and fuel. Maximum endurance is 3 

hours. Maximum airspeed is 80 knots per hour. Rockwell Collins proposes to use this SUAS to research 

and develop new technologies that address aviation problems in the terminal phase of approach. In the 

nature of this problem, precision positioning and endurance of the aircraft is of greater importance to 

us than top speed and range. Nap-of-Earth (NOE) flight is of greater value than high altitudes. Our 

SUAS will therefore spend the majority of flight operations very close to the ground, either hovering, 

or conducting slow and precision maneuvers. This flight operation does not pose any risk to the NAS. 

1.5.3 A Summary of Additional Proposed Operational Safety Precautions 

1. Rockwell Collins SUAS shall be operated by Rockwell Collins systems engineers. At least one 

employee who holds at least an FAA private pilot certificate, at least a current third-class medical 

certificate, and meet flight review requirements specified in 14 CFR §61.56, shall supervise flight 

operations, to include training with dual flight controls. 

2. Rockwell Collins employees to be operating the SUAS shall be trained in the operation of the 

specific SUAS and must have accumulated and logged, in a manner consistent with 14 CFR 

§61.51 (b), a minimum of 40 hours of total time as a SUAS rotorcraft pilot. Prior documented 

flight experience that was obtained in compliance with applicable regulations may satisfy this 

requirement. 

3. All persons not essential for flight operations are considered non-participants, and the SUAS shall 

operate with appropriate distance from non-participants in accordance with 14 CFR §91.119. 

4. A Visual Observer (VO) will be designated before each flight, minimum crew for each operation 

will consisting of the pilot and aVO. The pilot and VO will remain at distances where direct 

communication with each other is possible at all times. The purpose of the VO is to provide an 

extra pair of eyes to keep the SUAs in visual range, as well as watch out for traffic. 

5. Safety Briefings will be conducted before each operation to include, but not limited to designated 

roles of everyone involved in the operation, risk management and mitigation, and visual inspection 

of the flight path and surrounding area and equipment to identify potential concerns. 

6. A safety checklist will be completed by the pilot to ensure all areas of concern on the aircraft have 

been identified and addressed. A flight will not be conducted if a concern cannot be resolved. 

7. All radio frequency spectrum used for operation and control of the SUAS shall comply with the 

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or other appropriate government oversight agency 

requirements for frequency clearances such as aDD 1494 authorization. 

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8. The SUAS shall be equipped with an attitude and heading system and shall be designed such • 

that, should it lose communications or lose its GPS signal, to return to a pre-determined safe 

location for landing. Rockwell Collins is a leader in military GPS systems and is pioneering 

research GPS-denied navigation technologies. 

9. SUAS shall be maintained in accordance with the Rockwell Collins Maintenance Manual specific 

to the SUAS, prepared in the light of manufacturer recommendations and safety bulletins and 

equivalent pertaining to the SUAS. 

10. Rockwell Collins will document and maintain a record of the SUAS maintenance, preventative 

maintenance, alterations, status of replacement/overhaul component parts, and the total time in 

service. 

11. The pilot shall perform a preflight inspection, controller, and ground control station prior to each 

flight to ensure it is operational with no discrepancies. 

12. Maintenance or repairs that may affect the SUAS operation or flight characteristics shall undergo 

a test flight in accordance with the Rockwell Collins Pilot's Operating Handbook. This test flight 

shall be recorded in the SUAS logbooks. If the test flight is completed successfully, the SUAS 

will be returned to service. 

13. SUAS shall be identified by serial number, registered in accordance with 14 CFR §47, and have 

identification (N-Number) markings in accordance with 14 CFR §45, Subpart C, except with 

respect to the size of the markings. Markings shall be made as large as practicable. 

14. Rockwell Collins shall obtain an Air Traffic Organization (ATO) issued Certificate of Waiver 

prior to conducting any operations under this grant of exemption. This is not to be confused • 

with the COA from FAA. We are referring to the type of authorization that is required when 

operating within a specified distance of an airport. Under such circumstances Rockwell Collins 

shall also check a Notice to Airman (NOTAM) not more than 72 hours in advance, but not less 

than 48 hours prior to the operation from FAA website. 

15. The SUAS shall not operate in Class A, B, C, D orE airspace without written approval from the 

FAA. The SUAS shall not operate within 5 nautical miles of the geographic center of an airport 

as denoted on a current FAA-published aeronautical chart unless a letter of agreement with 

that airport management and ATC is obtained, and the operation is conducted in accordance 

with a NOTAM as required by the operator's COA. This letter of agreement with the airport 

management shall be made available upon request. 

16. SUAS shall not be operated less than 500 feet below cloud ceiling or less than 2000 feet horizontally from any cloud. 

17. A complete, detailed list of precautions for operation of SUAS are available in the 

Rockwell Collins Pilot's Operating Handbook. 

1.6 {f) A summary we can publish in the Federal Register, stating: 

Existing anti-collision technologies largely depend on the SUAS internal capabilities to report its position and intention with high integrity. Conventional guidance and navigation systems fail to provide 

the required navigation performance for an aircraft of such small proportions. Existing airborne equipment required to utilize widely available positioning and avoidance technologies in SUAS are currently 

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too large, and heavy. Rockwell Collins is conducting research and development towards avionics solutions that address this problem within the confines of size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) for SUAS. 

Rockwell Collins makes this request for exemption authority as a continuation of long term research 

and development efforts to employ SUAS is our internal testing and development capabilities. FAA's 

grant of this request is a necessary step in order to continue the vital work that Rockwell Collins 

has accomplished to date. Rockwell Collins proposes the SUAS operation to be directed by Rockwell 

Collins Advanced Technology Center, and shall only be used for the benefit of Rockwell Collins. 

1. 7 (g) Any additional information, views or arguments available to support this 

request; and 

1. Rockwell Collins has the avionics expertise to operate SU AS. Rockwell Collins is a 

pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic 

solutions for both commercial and government applications. Virtually every aircraft operating in 

the NAS today depend on Rockwell Collins avionics, including the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 

Airbus A350XWB and A380, as well as upcoming aircraft such as the Boeing 777X. Operational 

use of our subsystems exceed millions of flight hours, with 5 million passengers depending on our 

systems every day. Rockwell Collins is the primary avionics provider for all U.S. Air Force tanker 

programs, and we have a line of fighter solutions that covers F-15, F / A-18, F-22, F-35, and JAS 

39. Rockwell Collins is also a key member of the team selected by the U.S. Navy to execute the 

Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) program, developing new solutions to 

further enhance the Navy's ability to carry out operations in all weather conditions. Rockwell 

Collins airborne communication systems transmit nearly 70 percent of U.S. and allied military 

airborne communications. 

2. Rockwell Collins has two decades of SUAS integration expertise in providing fullmission pilotless capabilities with unsurpassed accuracy and reliability. As shown in 

figure 3 we offer a line of SUAS products that include flight controls, autopilot, navigation and 

guidance, mission computers, engine controls, data links, communication radios, redundant architectures and damage tolerant pilotless capabilities. Rockwell Collins is a member of the X-47B 

Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) team. The Rockwell Collins Tactical 

Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) and ARC-210 radio are part of the X-47B architecture 

and play essential roles in helping the aircraft perform vital functions. The General Atomics 

MQ-1C Gray Eagle, AAI RQ-7 Shadow, RQ-21A Blackjack, Boeing Insitu ScanEagle, Alenia 

Sky-X, Raytheon LAM, Thales Watchkeeper, EMT Luna X-2000, and Textron Universal Aerial 

Delivery Dispenser (U-ADD) are some of the currently deployed SUAS flying using Rockwell 

Collins Athena family of triplex and quad-redundant SUAS autopilot systems. These systems 

provide autonomous 3D way-point navigation, airspeed and attitude tracking, enforcement of 

flight envelope constraints, autonomous takeoff and landing, ground control during taxiing, as 

well as damage tolerance. Our new SAASM Real-Time Kinematic GPS receiver is the first in the 

industry to provide SUAS with decimeter-level GPS navigation accuracy and SAASM security 

for protection of SUAS from spoofing attacks. In addition, Rockwell Collins is working with 

NASA on the development of a certified C2 datalink to ensure standardization and the reliability of controlling SUAS in shared civil airspace. Rockwell Collins is also working with NASA 

Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) to help enable civilian low-altitude airspace and SUAS 

operations. 

3. Rockwell Collins has operational control of its own internal aircraft fleet under 14 

CFR Part 125 in the furtherance of its U.S. Operations. The fleet includes many 

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Figure 3: Top: Rockwell Collins RTK SAASM and Autopilot Used in Shipboard Recovery of an RQ21A aboard USS Mesa Verde. Bottom: Rockwell Collins Athena line of SUAS and UAS products 

and example U AS platforms using these systems. 

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advanced aircraft including the Canadair CL-600-2A12, Bombardier CL-600-2B16, Raytheon 

Hawker 800XP, the Beechcraft Super King Air 200, among others, supported by Rockwell Collins 

hangars within the Melbourne International Airport and the Eastern Iowa Airport. Rockwell 

Collins also has operational access to other advanced aircraft through partnership with University 

of Iowa such as the Lockheed Viking S-3 and L-29 jets, and the Mil Mi-2 Hoplite helicopter to 

name a few. 

4. Rockwell Collins aviation expertise extends from fixed wing aircraft to rotary wing. 

The Rockwell Collins Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) for the CH-47F, MH-47G, 

MH-60L/M, S70B Seahawk, S-92, UH-60M Black Hawk, and the MH-60T helicopters provides 

these rotorcraft with fully integrated flight and mission management capabilities as well as increased safety during operations in degraded visual environments. 

5. Rockwell Collins directly employs FAA Licensed Airline Transport Pilots, and FAA 

Licensed Technicians with an excellent safety record, and an industry leading culmination of 

technical expertise is in support of this operation. 

6. Rockwell Collins is the avionics supplier for many military grade SUAS including the 

General Atomics MQ-lC Gray Eagle and the AAI RQ-7 Shadow. Rockwell Collins employees are 

also very active within the noncommercial remote controlled turbine-helicopters and turbine-jets. 

7. Rockwell Collins has a well-established regulatory compliance culture. Our expertise 

with airborne systems and equipment certification brings a keen understanding of the importance 

of extensive security, planning, documentation and control of operations. Rockwell Collins has the 

capability of developing and exercising the necessary procedures for safe and effective operations 

of the SUAS Test Asset. 

8. Rockwell Collins employs an on-site security force and is able to establish exclusive safe 

zones for SUAS flights which limits the risk posed by such operations. 

9. Rockwell Collins is a government and defense contractor. We have well established 

facility Access and Technology Control Plans for compliance with government export control 

regulations as prescribed in the Export Compliance Manual, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, Export Administration Regulations and National Industrial Security Program Operating 

Manual. Rockwell Collins will deny access to the SUAS Test Asset to anyone not compatible 

with these regulations, or at any time if the TSA determines them as a security threat. This 

exemption request continues Rockwell Collins commitment of compliance in working with the 

FAA to serve the public interest, maintain the integrity of the NAS, and will not be a threat to 

national security. 

10. Rockwell Collins facilities can safely accommodate the flight operations of the SU AS 

Test Asset. Full scale helicopters as large as the 26000 pound CH-47F Chinook have operated 

from our facilities. See figure 2. 

Rockwell Collins defense technologies provide the U.S. military speed, tactical flexibility, and information dominance. Because of our reputation as a broad product and subsystem provider, customers 

come to Rockwell Collins for all of their SUAS needs, mitigating the time, risk and expense of having 

to manage multiple suppliers. Our intentions with the SUAS Test Asset are to develop enhanced 

situational awareness in most difficult environments. This technology will enable novel applications 

in which pilot safety and mission demands prohibit manned aircraft. The combination of Rockwell 

Collins experience in SUAS and capabilities of the SUAS Test Asset make it ideally suited to conduct 

commercial operations in carefully controlled environments under Class G airspace and within Visual 

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Line of Sight. Acknowledging the FAA mission to provide the safest and most efficient airspace system • 

in the world, commercial operations of the SUAS Test Asset will comply with applicable FAR provisions as well as Rockwell Collins operational risk management and safety protocols as outlined and 

defined in the attached exhibits. Exhibits are submitted confidentially. Rockwell Collins will only fly in 

airspaces as allowed under the exemption granted to it and will coordinate with the FAA as necessary 

to ensure safe operations. 

As a result of the size, weight, maximum speed, operational capability of our SUAS, safety record 

and expertise of Rockwell Collins, the distance at which SUAS will operate from airports and populated 

areas; its operation within visual line of sight, within controlled boundaries, provide de-confliction from 

other air traffic. Rockwell Collins SUAS does not create a hazard to users of the NAS or the public. 

Nor does it pose a threat to national security. Rockwell Collins recognizes that the FAA has granted 

exemption with similar circumstances as noted in FAA Exemption Nos. 11109, 11111, 11114, 11136, 

and 11138. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, mission communications, information management, 

simulation and training, and our proven safety record, in tandem with the controlled environments in 

which SUAS will be operating make it clear that this SUAS can operate safely in the NAS without 

posing a threat to national security. Given the direction of Section 333 of the Reform Act, the strong 

equivalent level of safety surrounding the proposed operations, and the significant public interest benefits including the provision of more efficient and safer facility inspections, Rockwell Collins respectfully 

requests FAA grant the requested exemption. 

If the FAA feels that Rockwell Collins should clarify, modify, or amend any regulations in this 

application, we would be happy to do so. 

1.8 (h) If Rockwell Collins wants to exercise the privileges of this exemption outside the United States, the reason why Rockwell Collins needs to do so. 

At this time we are not interested to exercise the privileges of this exemption outside the United States. 

12 

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Rockwell Collins SU AS 

Pilot's Operating Handbook 

Revision 5.1 

December 7, 2015 
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December 7, 2015 

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Contact Information 

Koray Qelik 

Sr. Systems Engineer 

Navigation & Control Section I Advanced Technology Center 

MS 108-205, 400 Collins Rd NE., Cedar Rapids, IA, 52498, USA 

Office: 31912632853 I Mobile: 31916400486 

General Email: Koray. Celik@rockwellcollins.com 

Email with Export Restricted Information: Koray.Celik@corp.rockwellcollins.com 

NOTICE: The contents of this document are proprietary to Rockwell Collins and shall not be disclosed, disseminated, copied, or used except for purposes expressly authorized in writing by Rockwell 

Collins. 

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Contents 

1 GENERAL 

1.1 Abstract . 

2 LIMITATIONS 

2.1 Weather .......................... . 

2.1.1 Weather Limitations ............... . 

2.1.2 Severe Weather and Weather Detection Devices . 

3 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

3.0.3 Emergency Action Definitions . 

3.0.4 Autorotation Landings . 

3.0.5 Icing . . . . . . 

3.0.6 Fire ......... . 

3.0. 7 Engine Failure . . . . 

3.0.8 Lost Link Procedures 

3.0.9 Dynamic Rollover 

3.0.10 Vortex Rings . 

3.0.11 Tailcone Strike .. 

3.0.12 Mast Bumping .. 

3.0.13 Unanticipated Yaw . 

3.0.14 Low RPM Warning . 

3.0.15 Low Fuel Warning . 

3.0.16 Alternator Warning 

3.0.17 Clutch Warning ... 

3.0.18 Full Throttle Warning 

3.0.19 Engine Remote Killswitch 

3.0.20 High Winds or Turbulence . 

3.1 Unexpected Behavior .. 

3.2 Accidents and Incidents . 

4 NORMAL PROCEDURES 

4.1 Flight Crew 

4.1.1 PIC ....... . 

4.1.2 vo ........ . 4.1.3 Crew Coordination with Multiple Pilots 

4.1.4 Personal Protective Equipment . . . . . 

4.1.5 Flight Crew Drug and Alcohol Prohibition . 

4.1.6 Flight Crew Medical Condition 

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4.1.7 Pre-Mission Briefing ........ . 

4.2 Sterile Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4.3 Standard Operating Procedure Rotor-Wing 

4.3.1 Pre-Flight Inspection Checklist ... 

4.3.2 Starting and Shutdown Procedures . 

4.3.3 Start/Run-up Check . 

4.3.4 Pre-Taxi Checks . . . . . . . . . . . 

4.3.5 After Landing Check . . . . . . . . . 

4.3.6 Calls for the Traffic and Spectators . 

4.4 Use of Helicopter Rotor Brake . 

4.5 Refueling Procedures . 

4.6 Ground Power Units .... . 

4.7 Right of Way ........ . 

4.8 Missed Approach Procedures 

4.9 Test Range Operational and Safety Requirements . 

4.10 Test Range Requirements ... 

4.10.1 Controlled Access Zone 

4.11 Noise Abatement ........ . 

4.12 Minimum Landing Fuel Reserves 

4.13 Tail Number ...... . 

4.14 Mixed SUAS Operations .. 

4.15 Use of Floats ....... . 

4.16 Portable Electronic Devices 

4.17 Required Publications ... 

4.17 .1 Aircraft Maintenance Log 

4.17.2 Pilot Flight Log 

4.17.3 Engine Log ....... . 

4.17.4 Charts .......... . 

4.17.5 Tail Number Verification 

4.18 Flight Planning and NOTAM 

4.18.1 Takeoff Minimums 

4.18.2 Landing Minimums. 

4.19 High Visibility Markings . 

5 PERFORMANCE 

5.1 Speeds ..... . 

5.2 Gearing for Different Rotor Configurations. 

5.3 Airframe Category 

5.4 Aerobatic Capability . . 

6 WEIGHT & BALANCE 

6.1 Payload . . . . . . . . . 

6.1.1 Weight and Balance 

6.2 Payload Loading/Storage 

6.3 Loading and Unloading with Engines Running and/or Blades Turning 

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CONTENTS 

7 SYSTEMS & DESCRIPTIONS 

7.1 Aircraft Capabilities ................ . 

7.1.1 Control Station and Communication Links 

7.1.2 Voice Alert System ........ . 

7.1.3 Flight Controls in Normal Mode 

7.1.4 Flight Controls in Assisted Mode . 

7.1.5 Flight Controls in Autopilot Mode 

7.1.6 Rotor Systems 

7 .1. 7 Rotor Brake . 

7.1.8 Drive System 

7.1.9 Powerplant 

7 .1.10 Governor . . 

7 .1.11 Fuel System . 

7.1.12 Electrical System . 

7.1.13 Navigation Lights 

7.1.14 Audio COMM System 

7.1.15 Pitot-Static System 

7.1.16 Tachometer ..... . 

7.1.17 Warnings and Cautions 

7.1.18 Landing Gear ..... . 

7.1.19 Emergency Locator Transponder 

7.1.20 Accessory Mounts ....... . 

7.1.21 Aircraft Clearances and Hovering Minimums 

7.1.22 Future Growth .............. . 

8 HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

8.1 Abstract ........... . 

8.2 Airworthiness Determination 

8.3 ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS . 

8.3.1 Radios ..... . 

8.3.2 Sensors . . . . . 

8.3.3 Strapdown IMU 

8.3.4 Pitot Thbe 

8.3.5 Antennas . . . . 

8.3.6 Batteries . . . . 

8.4 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS 

8.4.1 Fuselage .... 

8.4.2 Landing Gear . 

8.4.3 Bearings . . . 

8.4.4 Servomotors . . 

8.4.5 Blades . . . . . 

8.4.6 Gear Boxes and Shafts . 

8.4.7 Clevises and Heim Joints 

8.4.8 Tailboom 

8.4.9 Drive Belts ..... 

8.4.10 Cleaning . . . . . . . 

8.5 PROPULSION SYSTEMS . 

8.5.1 Break-in Procedures 

8.5.2 Fuel Tank . 

8.5.3 Clutch . . . . . . . . 

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8.5.4 FUel ••• 0 0 0 0 ••••• 70 • 

8.5.5 FUel Filters and Tubes .. 70 

8.5.6 Carburetion and Ignition 70 

8.5.7 Compression System 72 

8.5.8 Power Lubricants ..... 72 

8.5.9 Cooling System . . . . . . 73 

8.6 ENGINE TROUBLESHOOTING FLOWCHARTS 74 

8.7 Carburetor Settings (Engine Tuning) . 75 

8.8 Transportation of Aircraft . 76 

8.8.1 Towing Procedures . 76 

8.8.2 Storage ...... 79 

8.8.3 Ground Handling . 79 

9 SUPPLEMENTS 83 

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Chapter 1 

GENERAL 

1.1 Abstract 

This handbook prototypes the Standard Operating Procedures for the Rockwell Collins Advanced 

Technology Center Airborne Laboratory; a rotary-wing SUAS (small unmanned aerial system), and 

related aircraft operations in accordance with applicable FAA, AMA, local and national laws, and 

aircraft limitations. In this manual, "aircraft" applies to both fixed-wing and helicopter operations. 

The words "airplane I fixed wing" or "helicopter I rotary-wing" respectively refer to airplane and 

helicopter categories of aircraft. "Payload" refers to the equipage on-board the aircraft that is 

typically not necessary to maintain sustained flight, but rather present for experimentation. "Test 

Range" refers to the immediate area of operations and "helipad" refers to the point(s) of take-off, 

as well as landing. Safety is the primary objective of all operations listed in this handbook. 

This handbook is "not" intended as a substitute for adequate and competent 

flight instruction or for knowledge of current airworthiness directives, applicable 

federal aviation regulations, and advisory circulars. Nor is it intended to be a 

guide for basic flight instruction or a training manual. It should be used for 

operational purposes only, and as so as along as kept in current status. 

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4" 

FUEL 

Figure 1.1: SUAS Dimensions. 

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL 

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1.1. ABSTRACT 

DESCRIPTIVE DATA 

• Number of Engines: 1. 

• Engine Manufacturer: Zenoah-Bergen. 

• Engine Model Number: G26 Twin 

• Engine Type: Normally-aspirated, geared drive, air-cooled, horizontally opposed, carburetor equipped, two-cylinder engine. 

• Never Exceed RPM and Speed: 1000 RPM, 80 KTS. 

• Horsepower Rating: 8 rated BHP at 7500 RPM. 

• Engine to Rotor Gear Ratio: 9:1 (90/10 spur-pinion, involute mesh). 

• Main to Tail Rotor Gear Ratio: 1:4.375 (70/16 spur-pinion, bevel mesh). 

• Rotor Blade Manufacturer and Type: MAH Composite, or M-Blatt Aluminum 

• Main Rotor Blade Type: 950 mm semi-symmetrical positive taper single-bolt with 

14mm root. 

• Tail Rotor Blade Type: 130 mm symmetrical flat, or 140 mm symmetrical swept. 

• Number of Blades Main: Minimum 2, Maximum 4 (with 12HP engine). 

• Number of Blades Tail: Minimum 2, Maximum 4 (with 12HP engine) . 

• Rotor Type: Collective Pitch, Rubber-Damped, Friction-Lag, Fully Articulated. 

• Droop Stops: Not required for 2-blades or composite blades. Required for 4-blades or 

metal blades. 

FUEL 

• Approved Fuel Grades: 25-1 mixture of 87 Octane ethanol-free gasoline to oil. 

• Fuel Capacity: 64 fluid ounces in each tank, three tanks. 1.5 gallons total. 

OIL 

• PennzoillOO% synthetic Outboard Marine Engine Oil. Fuel is mixed with oil at 25-1 

ratio. 

• During break-in procedure, use 20-1 ratio. See section 8.5.1 for details. 

MAXIMUM CERTIFIED WEIGHTS 

• Takeoff, Normal Category, 55 lbs. Utility 27 lbs. 

• Landing, Normal Category, 55 lbs. Utility 27 lbs. 

• Weight in payload compartment: 25 lbs. 

SPECIFIC LOADINGS 

• Disc Loading: 27.5 lbs / in2 

• Power Loading: 6.875 lbs/HP 

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Chapter 2 

LIMITATIONS 

2.1 Weather 

Prior to each flight, the crew will obtain aviation weather reports and forecasts and analyze the 

following data to determine the effects on the proposed operations: 

• Latest NOTAM for the point of operations. 

• Surface weather observations and forecasts. 

• Any known air traffic in the operations area . 

2.1.1 Weather Limitations 

Minimum weather visibility of 400 feet from control station is required for flight operations. This 

section further outlines operational limitations for the rotary-wing aircraft with regard to other 

weather conditions. 

Cold Weather Operations 

If the rotary-wing aircraft is exposed to accumulations of frost, ice or snow, the contamination 

shall be removed by spraying the blades with deicing fluid and removing all accumulations with a 

soft cloth. The blades are not heated. The rotary-wing aircraft should be pre-heated, when 

possible, prior to attempting to activate any of the rotary-wing aircraft systems. Aircraft trailer 

parked outside should be headed into the wind when possible to minimize the accumulation of frozen 

precipitation in the openings around flight control surfaces. Covers and plugs must be installed 

to protect the engine inlets from accumulation while the rotary-wing aircraft is parked. Aircraft 

should be hangared in trailer when freezing precipitation or snow is anticipated, do not leave aircraft 

exposed to elements unless it is necessary. 

Wind 

Helicopters is capable of adapting to gusts and performing crosswind landings much better than 

equivalent fixed wing aircraft, as they can lean into the wind with cyclic without changing attitude, 

but there are limits. When wind gusts greater than 30 knots are reported by most nearby METAR 

or other weather advisory sources, do not fly, and if flying cease all flight operations, unless by 

determination of the pilot a safe landing can be made taking into consideration wind direction and 

13 
14 CHAPTER 2. LIMITATIONS 

condition of test range. In the event that unforeseen adverse winds are encountered the pilot shall 

take immediate action to avoid further exposure to those conditions. 

Precipitation 

Helicopter is capable of safe operations in most precipitation conditions assuming waterproofing 

of electrical systems is not defeated. All ground systems exposed to sky cover must be properly 

sheltered inside the operations van (figure 8.16). As long as the precipitation conditions do not 

violate visibility requirements outlined in section 2.1.1 the pilot may decide to proceed with flight 

operations in precipitate weather. No flight operations shall be performed into forecast or reported 

conditions involving hail or freezing precipitation. No pilot may continue flight in such icing conditions if icing is encountered during flight. In the event that unforeseen adverse weather the pilot 

shall take immediate action to avoid further exposure to those conditions. 

Frost, Snow and Icing 

No pilot shall attempt a takeoff if the rotary-wing aircraft has frost, snow or ice adhering to any, 

windshield, powerplant installation, flight or rate instrument system, wings, rotors, control surfaces 

or other areas that could affect flight characteristics or performance. Aircraft that are found to have 

frost, snow or ice accumulations must be de-iced prior to flight using industry standard procedures 

and materials. If existing conditions could cause accumulations to reoccur, the pilot must ensure 

that the rotary-wing is deiced as often as necessary based on deicing product specifications and 

observed conditions. Prior to takeoff, the pilot must determine that there is no accumulation that 

would affect performance of the rotary-wing aircraft. Flight must not be attempted into known or 

forecast severe icing conditions. 

Visibility 

Visibility is defined as the maximum distance in which visual contact between the pilot (and other 

aircrew) and the rotary-wing aircraft is possible. The visibility requirement for this safety manual 

is such that the aircraft orientation should be visible to the pilot from 25 feet. In other terms pilot 

should not have to get closer than 25 feet to observe the aircraft. Turn all exterior lights on when 

the aircraft is in operation to enhance visibility. 

2.1.2 Severe Weather and Weather Detection Devices 

Flights into areas of known or forecast severe weather will be avoided to the maximum extent 

possible. When flight is necessary into areas of reported thunderstorms, turbulence, etc., avoidance 

will be accomplished using visual means, airborne radar and, when available, air traffic control 

assistance. 

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Chapter 3 

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

Many helicopter accidents occur because pilots develop a tendency to treat the symptoms during an emergency, instead of treating the problem. Always treat the problem. 

For example, in a dynamic rollover condition pilot reaction is to try to roll in opposite direction 

(treating the symptom). However, consider why the helicopter is rolling. The skids have caught an 

object causing the aircraft to pivot due to the combination of collective lift and pivoting moments. 

This effectively removes cyclic control from the PIC and tilts the rotor blades into the ground. In 

such condition cyclic input in opposite direction will make matters worse. Collective is to be used 

as a method of roll control instead (thus treating the problem, and not the symptom) . 

3.0.3 Emergency Action Definitions 

Ditch: Ditch to the nearest clear area or lowest risk object (such as a tree) if sacrificing of the 

aircraft becomes necessary for the safety of human life or property. Always consider safety of 

people first and foremost, over the value of any and all equipment. 

Land Immediately: Land on the nearest clear area where a safe normal landing can be performed. 

Be prepared to enter autorotation during approach, if required. 

Land as Soon as Practical: Landing site is at pilot discretion based on nature of problem and 

available landing areas. Flight beyond nearest helipad not recommended. 

3.0.4 Autorotation Landings 

15 
16 CHAPTER 3. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

AUTOROTATION 

1. Announce - "Deadstick Deadstick Deadstick" 

2. Throttle- HOLD. 

3. Rudder - NEUTRAL. 

4. Collective - NEGATIVE, best glide at -4° - full down if necessary. 

5. Cyclic- FORWARD. 

6. Heading- GLIDE HEADWIND. 

7. 20ft AGL -BEGIN FLARE. 

8. lOft AGL - FWD CYCLIC, UP COLLECTIVE. 

9. Touch down - LEVEL attitude, nose ahead. 

A helicopter, like a Frisbee, can land safely from a complete engine failure. When performed 

correctly autorotations are safe procedures. A correctly performed autorotation has a slight 

nose down glide with a flare in ground effect followed by a soft touchdown. Never autorotate the helicopter straight down; you may enter the helicopter into a vortex 

ring state. See section 3.0.10 regarding vortex states. Always glide as long as 

safely possible. 

Emergency Water Autorotations 

Follow same procedures as for power failure over land until contacting water. Keep aircraft level 

and apply full collective as aircraft contacts water. Prior to water contact, apply lateral cyclic to 

stop rotors. Recover aircraft quickly when rotors stop. 

3.0.5 Icing 

ROTORS ICING 

• Freezing Rain + Loss of lift? 

• Freezing Rain+ LTE? 

• LAND immediately 

Icing conditions exist when the air contains droplets of supercooled liquid water. Helicopter should 

not be flown into ice accumulation; as such conditions exceed rotor blade specifications and represent 

a particular hazard to aircraft. There are several types of icing. It is possible to assess the type of 

icing if the aircraft is equipped with high speed imager as it is possible to capture rotor blades in 

flight: 

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17 

Figure 3.1: Icing on a rotor blade. 

Clear Ice: 

When supercooled water droplets (e.g. freezing rain) strike a surface but do not freeze instantly, 

clear ice forms along airfoil stagnation point, and generally conforms to the shape of the airfoil. 

Rime Ice: 

When supercooled drops rapidly freeze on impact with the blade, rough and opaque icing occurs. 

Rime ice has protrusions projecting into the airflow . 

Frost Ice: 

Water freezing on unprotected surfaces while the aircraft is stationary. All frost must be removed 

from rotor blades and sensors prior to flight. Frost can be dangerous even in small quantities 

because it disrupts an airfoil's boundary layer airflow causing a premature aerodynamic stall and, 

in some cases, dramatically increased drag making takeoff dangerous or impossible. 

3.0.6 Fire 

FIRE 

• Throttle- HOLD 

• Fuel- OFF 

• Ignition- OFF 

• AUTOROTATE immediately 

3.0. 7 Engine Failure 
18 CHAPTER 3. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

ENGINE FAILURE 

• Throttle- HOLD 

• Fuel- OFF 

• Ignition- OFF 

• Cyclic- AFT, MAINTAIN GLIDE 

• AUTOROTATE immediately 

Due to low altitudes of operation engine cannot be re-started in flight in sufficient 

time to allow for safe recovery, do not attempt. Engine failure may be caused by either an 

engine system or drive system failure. Engine failure signs include unusual changes in engine noise, 

unanticipated yaw, engine temperature increase, and an RPM warning. A drive system failure may 

be indicated by an unusual noise or vibration, yaw, or decreasing rotor RPM while engine RPM is 

increasing. In case of such failures, immediately lower collective to enter autorotation. Aft cyclic is 

required when collective is lowered at high speed to maintain glide. Do not apply aft cyclic during 

touchdown or ground slide to prevent possible blade strike to tailcone. 

3.0.8 Lost Link Procedures 

LOST LINK 

• Announce lost link on radio, followed by SUAS last known position and heading. 

• Take manual control, and land. 

• If not, SUAS will return home. 

Within SUAS operations PIC may become unable to use the control interface to operate the SUAS 

due to a failure of the control link between the aircraft and the PIC control station. This is known 

as a loss of positive control. This situation may result from a system failure or because the aircraft 

has been flown beyond the signal range or in an area where control link communication between 

the aircraft and the control station is interrupted. 

Lost link is an extremely improbable event given the equipage of this SUAS. If it however happens, 

the telltale signs are degraded, corrupt, or missing data rates from telemetry, and degraded or 

missing aircraft responses to pilot commands. When a command and control link is lost, aircraft 

continues flying handled by the autopilot and mission computer. In the event of a lost link the 

rotary-wing aircraft does the following: 

• Announce on emergency voice frequency that a SUAS lost link is encountered, followed by 

aircraft position and heading. International emergency voice frequencies are 121.5 MHz and 

243.0 MHz. Other frequencies may be used depending on mission parameters. 

• Establish a hover and hold current position, attitude, altitude. 

• Wait a predetermined amount of time for link to be re-established, based on fuel status. 

• If link cannot be re-established, fly a pre-programmed contingency route back to take-off 

position. 

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• Hover, maintain takeoff heading and descend over takeoff position. 

If this procedure cannot be established, the aircraft will kill the engine, and land. Engine may be 

killed manually from the remote manual override. 

3.0.9 Dynamic Rollover 

DYNAMIC ROLLOVER 

• Collective - INCREASE rapidly 

• Cyclic- APPLY OPPOSITE to the direction of rollover. 

Dynamic rollover is a phenomenon that will result in destruction of the helicopter unless immediate corrective action is taken. Critical conditions that help attribute to this condition are high 

GTOW, right lateral center of gravity (for CCW rotors), crosswind from the left (for CCW rotors) 

or hovering with only the right skid or wheel in contact with the surface and with thrust (lift) 

approximately equal to the weight (for CCW rotors). 

In a Dynamic Rollover the lateral control cannot be moved far enough to get the main rotor lift 

line outside of the skid. Rotor generates an upsetting moment about the skid. The only restoring 

moment capability is the weight of the helicopter times the offset distance. The latter decreases to 

a value of zero at the static rollover angle. At that point the helicopter will roll over, regardless 

of control inputs. PIC must realize that after the lateral control contacts the stop, roll angle can 

still be controlled with the collective. Down collective will level the helicopter and up collective will 

cause the helicopter to immediately roll over. Collective is to be used as a method of roll control, 

not the cyclic. 

Dynamic rollover requires three elements to happen: 

1. A fixed pivot point. For example, a ground spike to catch a skid presents such hazard. 

Especially if the skid in thrust direction of tail rotor is caught. 

2. A side force. For example, cross winds, or tail rotor thrust. 

3. Lift setting approximately equal to weight. 

During slope or crosswind landing and takeoff maneuvers, exceeding the critical rollover angle is 

easier. This will cause the helicopter to roll over onto its side regardless of cyclic corrections. When 

the down slope skid is on the slope, excessive application of collective may result in the upslope skid 

rising sufficiently to exceed lateral cyclic limits and induce a down slope rolling motion. Upslope 

dynamic rollover on the other hand results in the down slope skid rising sufficiently to exceed 

lateral cyclic control limits and an upslope rolling motion occurs. Lowering the collective will 

eliminate the lift vector and hence the sideward force causing the rollover. 

3.0.10 Vortex·Rings 
20 CHAPTER3. EMERGENCYPROCEDURES 

1UNNI!LFAN 1 

HOVIR CI.IMB 

Figure 3.2: Different states of helicopter flight in terms of airflow around rotor. 

VORTEX RING 

1. Collective- HOLD OR LOWER (DO NOT RAISE!). 

2. Cyclic - MOVE any direction to get out of the downwash air column. 

3. Attitude- NOSE DOWN. 

Vortex ring is a dangerous condition when a helicopter descends vertically from a hover out of 

ground effect. Helicopter will be descending into its own downwash. Air cannot move fast enough 

to fill the turbulent (and much less dense) air below the helicopter. The blades begin to stall near 

the hub and air starts flowing upward through rotor disc (induced flow). A turbulent vortex ring 

system, consisting of several concentric rings similar to tip vortices engulf the rotor, causing severe 

loss of lift. Once this occurs, heliocopter will begin descending. Increasing the collective only feeds 

the vortex ring (generating a larger vortex ring) without generating additional lift and helicopter 

continues to descend even faster. The concept is similar to cavitation in speedboats where adding 

more horsepower leads to more cavitation and not more speed. The failure to recognize and react 

to the condition can lead to high descent rates and impact with terrain. 

3.0.11 Tailcone Strike 

BOOM STRIKE 

• Throttle- HOLD. 

• AUTO ROTATE if possible. Expect complete LTE. 

Tailcone strike, also known as a boom strike, is a rare phenomenon that occurs when main blades 

contact the tail. Only particular rotor head.designs are susceptible to this type of event (underslung 

designs with two blades and soft flap dampening, or exceptionally flexible blades). It further re-

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3-polnt Touchdown 

Roll 

Figure 3.3: Correct way to perform a rolling landing (without risking a tailcone strike). 

quires a zero-g condition to be created (removal of positive disc loading) which is difficult to achieve 

unless initiated deliberately by an aggressive cyclic input while the disc is unloaded. Unloaded disc 

then has no control over the fuselage, and may adopt an attitude placing the mast at less than 90 

degrees to the disc. This event will result in destruction of the helicopter in the air. Tail may separate from the aircraft, as well as rotor blades may break. Controlled landings from such incident 

are seldom possible. 

Observe figures 3.3 and 3.4 describing landing methods in relation to tailcone 

strikes. Helicopter empennage sections, especially on helicopters with rolling 

undercarriage, are far more prone to tail strikes than fixed wing aircraft. To 

prevent tailcone strikes when landing, avoid touching down with a tail first (nose 

up) attitude. You should aim for a 3-point landing. When executing a standard 

3 degree approach, perform the flare (to slow down) before entering ground effect. Level the helicopter when landing speed is reached (which may be zero 

if necessary, but not recommended), you should touch down horizontally with 

very little to no flare. Tail strikes with ground usually lead to helicopter pivoting around contact point and cause a tailcone strike, turning a minor situation 

into a catastrophe. Refrain from abrupt cyclic inputs with an overloaded helicopter. And avoid weather phenomena and/or loadouts that will reduce rotor 

disc loading below safe limits. 

3.0.12 Mast Bumping 

Mast Bumping occurs when the rotor exceeds its critical flapping angle. Underside of the rotor hub 

contacts the rotor mast (bumping). Catastrophic results are highly probable. Since conditions 

causing rotor flapping are cumulative, improper pilot response to flight situations favorable to mast 
22 CHAPTER 3. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

Figure 3.4: Incorrect way to perform a rolling landing (risk of tailcone strike). This is one way to 

perform an autorotation landing in an emergency and should not be used as a normal operating 

procedure. 

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23 

bumping can aggravate the situation and lead to structural failure of the mast. The rotors may 

separate from the aircraft. 

MAST BUMPING ON STARTUP/ SHUTDOWN: 

• Cyclic - STIR to stop bumping. 

• Throttle- HOLD. 

• Ignition- OFF. 

• Fuel- OFF. 

ON SIDE OR REAR FLIGHT: 

• Cyclic - NEUTRAL. 

• Rudder - ALIGN nose with direction of travel. 

• Land immediately. 

ON SLOPE LANDING: 

• Cyclic - NEUTRAL. 

• Hover - Reestablish. 

• Land immediately . 

ON ENGINE FAILURE: 

• Cyclic- AFT (maintain positive-g). 

• Collective - NEGATIVE sinkrate. 

• Autorotate and land immediately. See section 3.0.4. 

ON LOW-G MANEUVERS (::; +0.5g): 

• Cyclic - AFT. 

• Cyclic- CENTER (to regain positive-g (thrust) on the rotor). 

• Land immediately. 

ON NOSE-HIGH LOW SPEED: 

• Collective - INCREASE judiciously. 

• Cyclic - NEUTRAL. 

• Land Immediately. 

1. Mast bumping generally occurs at, but is not restricted to, the extremes of the 

operating envelope of helicopter. The most influential causes are (in order of 
24 

All• .. - rotor"......., SlOP hU not tile 

""""·~~-ott. Mlldin9 tM 01..,..- 01 tM rotor -•• strtl!etlle m•t. Tile tOtO< Otc}mlto 

- ..... the miSt, -"""'9 d iUI>IIIIIIIllly. 

CHAPTER 3. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

Aa IMMhl friCIUfft.lhe ... ld blldft oil'"' 111<:• 

onto tM hettooDI« IVMt>qe, 

Wl!IIIMII & IO!or. lh& IMMICCH>IIf Cl!l• 

not IIIIOIOIII&taletf to the or!XIftd ~ke • F~sbee. 

Figure 3.5: Conditions that lead to mast bumping. 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

25 

importance): 

2. Low-g maneuvers (:::; +0.5g) 

3. Sudden and large cyclic motions, especially forward cyclic 

4. Flying near longitudinal or lateral CG limits 

5. Landing on high slopes 

6. Maximum sideward or reverse flight 

7. Sideslip and blade stall conditions 

Mast bumping is considered specific to underslung two bladed rotors and articulated multi-blade 

rotors. Rigid multi-blade rotors are rigidly mounted to the mast and the blades are isolated from 

the rotorhead by the flexibility of the blade. Articulated rotors use hinges, bearings and dampeners 

to provide flapping. In some rotors elastomeric bearings are used that serve as an offset hinge and 

offers three degrees of freedom. Although mast bumping is not possible on such rotors, the blades 

are limited in their vertical travel by adjustable droop stops and if the pilot inputs excessive cyclic 

pitch there is a possibility that the blades can contact these stops. This contact is not nearly as 

severe as if it were mast bumping (not as easily felt), however it should still be avoided as it causes 

rapid degradation of the droop stops. A torn droop stop can cause excessive flapping, enough to 

produce a tailcone when the rotor is spooling down. 

3.0.13 Unanticipated Yaw 

UNANTICIPATED YAW: 

• Throttle HOLD. 

• Rudder - NEUTRAL. 

• Rudder Gyro Gain- OFF. 

• A utorotate Immediately. 

Unanticipated yaw (Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness, LTE) is the aircraft characteristics identified 

as: 

• High power settings in conjunction with low airspeed 

• Aircraft yaws in a direction opposite of main rotor rotation 

• Tail rotor vortex ring state changes 

• Main rotor disc vortex interference .changes 

• There is loss of effective translational lift (ETL) 

If LTE is experienced, hit throttle hold switch, and land immediately using procedures outlined in 

section 3.0.4. Throttle hold reduces tendency to yaw by removing torque from main rotor. 
26 CHAPTER 3. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

3.0.14 Low RPM Warning 

LOW RPM: 

• Throttle- HOLD. 

• Cyclic- AFT. 

• Autorotate Immediately. 

A low RPM warning indicates rotor RPM fell below safe limits. Immediately roll throttle on and 

lower collective and (in forward flight) apply aft cyclic, to restore RPM. Land as soon as practical. 

3.0.15 Low Fuel Warning 

When a low fuel warning is heard this indicates engine will run out of fuel after approximately 

ten (10) minutes at cruise power. Do not use low fuel caution light as a working indication of fuel 

quantity. 

3.0.16 Alternator Warning 

Indicates low voltage and possible alternator failure. Turn off nonessential electrical equipment. 

Land as soon as practical. Continued flight without functioning alternator puts all electrical load 

on batteries, and eventually can result in loss of electronics, producing a hazardous flight condition . 

3.0.17 Clutch Warning 

Indicates clutch is disengaging. Never take off before light goes out. Clutch light may come on 

momentarily during run-up or during flight and this is normal. If, however, the light flickers or 

comes on in flight and does not go out within seconds, reduce power and land immediately. Be 

prepared to enter autorotation. Inspect drive system for a possible malfunction. 

3.0.18 Full Throttle Warning 

Indicates engine is operating near full throttle. On ground, this prevents the engine from starting. 

In the air, it indicates aircraft is overloaded. If throttle is past 85% this means governor will be 

less effective as it cannot increase throttle to maintain RPM. Lower collective and land as soon as 

practical. Correct the situation before flying again. 

3.0.19 Engine Remote Killswitch 

An independent, dual-redundant, remotely operated engine killswitch shall be installed on the 

aircraft. This switch will kill the engine by disrupting the ignition sequence to prevent a runaway 

aircraft. If the engine is killed in such manner autorotate and land immediately. 

3.0.20 High Winds or Turbulence 

Improper application of control inputs in response to high winds or turbulence can increase the 

likelihood of a mast bumping (section 3.0.12). The following procedures are recommended: 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

3.1. UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOR 

TURBULENCE: 

1. Power - REDUCE 

2. Airspeed - REDUCE 

3. Controls - NEUTRAL 

4. Do not overcontrol. Allow aircraft go with the turbulence. 

5. Restore level flight with smooth, gentle control inputs. Momentary airspeed, heading, 

altitude, and RPM excursions are to be expected. 

6. Avoid flying on the downwind side of hills, ridges, or tall buildings where the turbulence 

will likely be most severe. 

7. The helicopter is more susceptible to turbulence at light weight. Use caution when 

flying lightly loaded. 

3.1 Unexpected Behavior 

27 

This aircraft is protected from unexpected behavior due to equipment failures by means of redundancy, fail-safe, and fault-tolerant design features. All airborne systems are at least dual-redundant 

(can tolerate single airborne failure), while critical systems are quad-redundant (can tolerate up to 

three consecutive failures). Redundant systems are optically isolated from one another such that 

failure of one does not affect the others. Systems are designed such that failures are to be fail-safe. 

For example a failure of the master power switches will fail them to ON state (safe state), failure 

of throttle controls will fail to IDLE state of carburetor, failure of cyclic command will establish 

helicopter at hover state as it is designed to be self-centering... etc. 

A full-duplex multiplexer with quad-redundant, 3D polarized satellite antennas ensures manual 

override function is always available to the pilot. 

If the aircraft still behaves in a way not anticipated by the pilot while under any automatic 

control or assisted form of flight, activate the multiplexer. 

·3.2 Accidents and Incidents 

Aircraft involved in any accident or major component change are suspended from further use until 

released by authorized by the mechanic personnel. Reinstatement of aircraft is neither automatic 

nor guaranteed, and may require any combination of inspections . 
28 CHAPTER 3. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES • 

• 

• 
• 

• 

Chapter 4 

NORMAL PROCEDURES 

4.1 Flight Crew 

Flight crew consists of a pilot in command (PIC) and a Visual Observer (VO). PIC holds a FAA 

private pilot certificate, current FAA airman medical certificate of at least third class, and a valid 

U.S. driver's license. PIC is also experienced in operations of remote controlled helicopters. VO 

assists the PIC to maintain visual line of sight (VLOS) with the aircraft at all times. VO is not 

permitted to manipulate flight controls of the UAS, but may operate payload systems on the UAS 

that are not related to flight safety, such as sensor controls for data gathering. 

4.1.1 PIC 

PIC responsibilities are defined in time that commences when a rotary-wing aircraft moves under 

its own power for the purpose of flight, and ends when the rotary-wing aircraft comes to rest after 

landing (blades stop moving). PIC responsibilities are as follows: 

• PIC maintains the rotary-wing aircraft energy state within safe levels. 

• PIC maintains visual contact with the aircraft at all times, independent of the VO who is also 

keeping the aircraft in visual contact. 

• PIC need not be directly manipulating the flight controls or flight surfaces at all times during 

flight 1 , however remains the person in charge of the rotary-wing aircraft at all times. 

• PIC has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight. 

• In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the PIC may deviate from any rule 

of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency and has final authority in any 

situation involving the safety of a flight, irrespective of any other law or regulation. 

• Since PIC can discern limitations better than anyone else and is able to operate within these 

limitations, PIC word is final as to whether or not a flight or any part of it is feasible. 

• The PIC shall evaluate and approve all missions before flying them. If PIC is asked to perform 

a mission that, in their judgment, is not safe, PIC word is final as to whether the flight may 

be conducted in a safe and efficient manner. 

1Certain tasks ins a helicopter can be automated, such as holding position or holding altitude, to reduce PIC 

workload 

29 
30 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

Pilot Testing and Training 

The PIC must demonstrate to Rockwell Collins, the aeronautical knowledge regarding to lowReynold physics, including helicopter specific knowledge, required to safely operate the SUAS. This 

is in addition to the FAA Private Pilot Certificate. This knowledge test can be applied in two 

stages, (i) a written test and {ii) a flight demonstration on a simulator. If the PIC is new to the 

platform, they must accumulate a minimum of 40 hours of training in a manner consistent with 14 

CFR 61.51 (b). For a pilot who is FAA certified as private pilot, but new to remotely controlled 

helicopters, following additional training program is required: 

• Helicopter Dynamics 

• Checklists 

• General Characteristics 

• Weight and Balance 

• Powerplants 

• Radios 

• Emergency Procedures 

• Simulator Instruction with practices of unusual altitude recoveries and autorotative landings 

• 20 hours of flight instruction where student pilot is flying with a PIC instructor where control 

boxes are connected to each other such that (unlike in full scale aircraft) instructor can take 

complete control at any time and student controls become inoperative. 

• 20 hours of solo flight. 

Training Fixed Wing Pilots 

Experience fixed wing aircraft does not automatically translate into experience flying helicopters. 

Fixed wing pilots must undergo helicopter specific training, regardless of level of fixed wing experience. Fixed wing pilots develop ingrained reactions when flying airplanes, which pose a high risk 

when operating helicopters. For example, a stall warning in an airplane provokes a reaction to push 

the stick and add power. This move is executed purely by reaction without conscious thought. In 

a helicopter, stall condition is caused by low rotor RPM. Reaction based application of forward 

stick would drive the RPM even lower. If the pilot also adds power (up collective) in a fraction of 

a second the rotor could stall completely and helicopter fall out of the sky. Another example is the 

reaction necessary to descend to avoid a bird or similar object. Airplane pilots are used to push the 

stick and dive. Helicopters require down-collective with no push of the stick. If stick is so violently 

pushed under such conditions it could lead to catastrophic results (see section 3.0.11). 

4.1.2 vo 

VO augments the safety of the flight by spotting the aircraft simultaneously with the PIC. VO 

responsibilities are as follows: 

• In normal flight VO estabHshes visual contact with the aircraft and communicates any ap- · 

proaching objects to the PIC. 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

4.1. FLIGHT CREW 31 

• VO can control payloads, monitor the radar, flight and engine instruments, and complete 

required paperwork and other tasks, as directed by the PIC. 

• VO cannot control the aircraft. 

• During emergencies or abnormal system operations PIC checks instrument indications, reads/ accomplishes 

checklists, performs checks, and takes corrective action if necessary. 

• VO may operate all systems on the rotary-wing aircraft that are non-flight, such as test 

equipment carried as payload, and monitors all telemetry. 

• VO shall keep visual contact with the rotary-wing aircraft at all times. 

• VO shall monitor rotary-wing aircraft situational state awareness. 

• VO shall alert the pilots and ground personnel about above issues. 

4.1.3 Crew Coordination with Multiple Pilots 

Control of the rotary-wing aircraft is on the PIC, designated the "pilot flying" (PF). The "pilot 

not flying" (PNF) or "pilot monitoring" (PM) shall coordinate with the PF before initiating any 

change in rotary-wing aircraft configuration, a transferring of rotary-wing aircraft control, selection 

or change of navigation equipment settings or frequencies, checklist initiation and completion, or a 

change in radar settings. If PF needs to transfer control to PNF change of control will be announced 

by the PF stating "Your aircraft" and also by PNF acknowledging "My aircraft". 

4.1.4 Personal Protective Equipment 

When Flying the Helicopter 

Helicopters can kick up and throw loose objects, as well as launch parts of the aircraft if some 

part works itself loose or breaks. PIC and VO shall wear ANSI approved safety glasses whenever 

the engine is running. It is acceptable to use ones that fit over existing prescription eyewear. It 

is also acceptable to use tinted or polarized safety glasses as long as they are not tinted so much 

the wearer's eyes are not visible through them. All other participants are also required to wear 

ANSI approved safety goggles, and remain inside a closed vehicle, fence, or similar shelter. When 

hovering, PIC shall always maintain altitude such that landing gear remains above 

the head-top level of bystanders. Hovering operations below this altitude shall be 

minimized to takeoff and landing. 

When Maintaining the Helicopter 

Wear ANSI approved safety glasses. Long hair must be tied back. Long sleeves should be secured. 

All loose items such as jewelry and other small items that may fall into the rotors must be secured. 

During rotor tracking operations, a camera should be used, avoid looking at the spinning rotor 

directly to measure tracking. During maintenance operations involving fuel, an operational C02 

extinguisher should be at the ready. 

4.1.5 Flight Crew Drug and Alcohol Prohibition 

Rockwell Collins is an aviation systems manufacturer. Our employees perform many safety critical 

functions every day in positions covered by the FAA and must comply with corresponding alcohol 

and drug prohibitions. It is Rockwell Collins prohibited conduct for all employees to knowingly 
32 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

carry or use alcohol, narcotics, depressants, stimulants, and any substance that causes intoxication 

or that affects or overcomes the body or senses in a way that is not natural. The purpose of these 

regulations is to ensure safety of our workplace and that of our products and operations. Rockwell 

Collins has well established systems, policies, and procedures in place such that these prohibitions 

are enforced. 

4.1.6 Flight Crew Medical Condition 

Rockwell Collins recognizes the possibility that the PIC or VO may have a medical condition that 

is likely to manifest as subtle or sudden incapacitation that could lead to loss of positive control, 

or impair the ability to see and avoid. Therefore if a PIC or VO know or have reason to know of 

any physical or mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a SUAS they are 

prohibited from acting as PIC or VO until it is medically verified that the condition is resolved. 

4.1. 7 Pre-Mission Briefing 

Prior to flight, the PIC must ensure that all persons directly involved in the operation receive a 

briefing that includes operating conditions, emergency procedures, contingency procedures, roles 

and responsibilities, and potential hazards. A person is directly involved in the operation when his or 

her involvement is necessary for the safe operation of the SUAS. By receiving a pre-flight briefing 

on the details of the operation and the hazards involved, the persons involved in the operation 

would be made aware of how to avoid the flight path if the PIC were to lose control or experience 

a mechanical failure. The pilot shall conduct a pre-departure briefing prior to each flight. 

4.2 Sterile Cockpit 

Loss of focus during helicopter flight is factored into accidents and incidents. Minimize all extraneous conversation with PIC that does not apply directly to the operation of a rotary-wing aircraft 

anytime aircraft is in motion. 

4.3 Standard Operating Procedure Rotor-Wing 

The following Standard Operating Procedure is to be utilized in all routine rotor-wing flight operations. Deviation from this as dictated by conditions, or circumstances, must be thoroughly briefed 

by the pilot. 

4.3.1 Pre-Flight Inspection Checklist 

Pre-flight check can be completed by PIC using the following checklist. When the check is complete, 

call," Pre-Flight check complete". 

--------.PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST, See Figure 4.1 --------

1. MAIN ROTOR Jesus Bolts, Linkages, Servos, Freedom of Rotation 

2. MAIN DRIVESHAFT FORWARD COUPLING Condition and Leaks, Clutch Operational 

3. SWASHPLATE ASSEMBLY Condition, Security, Boot, Leaks, Contamination 

• 

• 

• 
• 4.3. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ROTOR-WING 33 

• 

Figure 4.1: Pre-flight inspection procedure . 

• 
34 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

4. LINKAGES TO SWASHPLATE Condition, Security • 

5. MAIN BLADES Condition, Security, Unfolded, Tight, Tiedowns Off 

6. TAILBOOM Condition, Security, Electrical 

7. TAIL BLADES Condition, Security 

8. TAIL ROTOR Jesus Bolts, Linkages, Servo, Freedom of Rotation 

9. TAIL ROTOR GUARD Condition, Security 

10. TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX Oil, Bearings, Security 

11. FUEL SUMP No Sediment, Fuel Feels Oily 

12. FUSELAGE ACCESS DOORS WINDOWS COWLS Secured 

13. FUEL FILLER CAP Secure 

14. HOSES & TUBING Condition, Security, No Air Bubbles 

15. FUEL VALVE Condition, Position 

16. CARBURETOR No Fuel Odor, No Flooding 

17. AIR INDUCTION FOS Removed 

18. AIR EJECTION FOS Removed • 

19. CARBURETOR INLET & PLENUM Condition, clear of obstructions 

20. EXHAUST Clear of obstructions 

21. LANDING GEAR Condition 

22. SYNCHRO-ELEVATOR & POSITION LIGHT Condition, Security 

23. ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS Condition 

24. NAVIGATION LIGHTS Condition 

25. LANDING LIGHTS Condition 

26. BEACON Condition 

27. PAYLOAD COMPARTMENT Payload Secured, Door Closed 

28. MAIN BATTERY FULL7.2, NORM6.6, NOFLY6.0, Load, Security, Connected 

29. AUX BATTERY FULL7.2, NORM6.6, NOFLY6.0, Load, Security, Connected 

30. ANTENNAS Condition, Security 

• 
• 

• 

• 

4.3. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ROTOR-WING 35 

4.3.2 Starting and Shutdown Procedures 

___________ STARTING ENGINE-----------

1. PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST Complete 

2. WEATHER CONDITIONS COOPERATIVE 

3. RADIOS ON, CHARGED 

4. IGNITION MASTER DOWN 

5. MASTER AVIONICS 1 ON, 1 GREEN, 5 AMBER 2 BLUE, NO FLASHING 

6. MASTER AVIONICS 2 ON, 2 GREEN, 5 AMBER 2 BLUE, NO FLASHING 

7. DISTANCE CHECK OK 

8. FUEL TANKS FULL 

9. C02 FIRE EXT FULL, READY 

10. C02 ASSISTANT AVAILABLE, READY 

11. 911 SERVICE AVAILABLE 

12. HEADING DOWNWIND 

13. FLIGHT CONTROLS OPERATIONAL, FREE, POSITION FOR START (0 PITCH) 

14. ROTOR BRAKE RELEASED, LOCKED 

15. LANDING LIGHT OFF, STOWED 

16. ALERT GROUND CREW OK 

17. FUEL VALVE OPEN 

18. IGNITION ON 

19. THROTTLE IDLE 

20. CHOKE ON 

21. Step one foot on the landing gear. 

22. Grab the rotor blade grip with one hand and hold securely. 

23. PULL STARTER - Gently pull the starter rope until it engages and compression . 

is felt. Then pull short, rapid bursts until engine fires. 

24. ELECTIC STARTER - Gently rotate engine until compression is felt. Apply 

electric starter in 5 second bursts until engine fires. 

25. BACKFIRE? HOTSTART? -DO NOT let go of rotor. Ignition killswitch, then shut off 

Fuel Valve. 

26. CHOKE OFF 

27. Let go of rotor, walk away immediately . 
36 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

___________ STOPPING ENGINE-----------

1. LAND Stabilize helicopter on the ground. 

2. THROTTLE Idle. 

3. KILL IGNITION Engine should stop immediately. 

4. ALTERNATIVE METHOD-1 Lower throttle trim to 0% (below idle) to deprive engine 

of oxygen. This is not a preferred method as it can cause flooding. 

5. ALTERNATIVE METHOD-2 Close fuel valve servo to deprive engine of fuel. This is not 

a preferred method as it can cause the engine to lean out and overheat. 

If above stopping procedure fails, wait on ground and monitor aircraft until engine runs out of fuel, 

do not approach the aircraft. Do not over-rev the engine with blades at zero collective to facilitate 

faster expenditure of fuel, engine could overheat and rotor can be damaged. Instead, richen mixture 

and place torque on the engine with gentle negative collective. 

4.3.3 Start/Run-up Check 

1. PIC - At controls 

2. CLEAR ROTOR?- Yes 

3. RPM -1000 

4. Call, "Start and Run-up check complete". 

4.3.4 Pre-Taxi Checks 

Once SUAS has been started and initialized, call, "Ready to Taxi". Steering capability should be 

checked as soon as possible. Taxi operation requires all the attention; maintain maximum possible 

vigilance. VO will signify proper clearance on his/her side by a thumb-up signal. This will place 

the hand signal in the PIC peripheral vision and will allow the PIC to devote his/her attention 

to his/her side of the rotary-wing aircraft and the area in front of the rotary-wing aircraft. When 

adequate clearance is in doubt, a rotary-wing aircraft should be towed. Call "Pre-taxi checklist 

complete." 

Prior to takeoff, consider (at least) the following items as appropriate: 

• Special factors influencing this takeoff such as wet runway, anti-icing requirements, cross-wind, 

deviations from the norm .... 

• Verify the airspeed settings. 

• Verify the navigation equipment setup. 

• Verify the initial flight clearance (headings, altitudes). 

• Review the emergency return plan. Direction to turn if problem develops. i.e. "Strong wind 

gust from the south, will head south." 

• Check charts based on gross weight and temperature. 

• Any Safety Issues? i.e. Ground traffic in immediate vicinity? 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

4.3. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ROTOR-WING 37 

• Complete the briefing by asking the VO, "Do you have anything to add?" 

Hover check and stabilize instruments. If hover power normal, and instruments normal, call "On 

the go", and maintain directional control, steady increase in power to takeoff setting. Positive 

airspeed indication, call, "Airspeed alive". 

4.3.5 After Landing Check 

Prior to either pilot leaving the controls after engine shutdown, the pilot shall designate Shutdown 

Checklist. If a post-flight inspection will not be accomplished after the completion of the last flight 

of the day, conduct a walk-around check of the rotary-wing aircraft, noting any oil or fuel leaks, 

abnormal wear or damage. Any discrepancies found during this walk-around are to be noted in 

rotary-wing aircraft books. __________ _... OST-FLIGHT CHECK __________ _ 

1. IGNITION OFF 

2. PILOT REMAIN AT CONTROLS UNTIL BLADES STOP OK 

3. FUEL VALVE CLOSED 

4. ROTOR BRAKE APPLY 

5. LOG LOG EGT, RPM-PEAK, FPV-PEAK, RUNS, ABORTS, HOURS 

6. MASTER AVIONICS OFF 

7. RADIOS OFF 

8. FUEL TANKS DRAIN COMPLETELY, EVAPORATE ALL FUMES 

4.3.6 Calls for the Traffic and Spectators 

The following are recommended operating procedures for calls. PIC shall broadcast, in the blind if 

necessary, position and intentions on the rotary-wing aircraft. Recommended calls are: 

• "On the runway", or "on the helipad". (If there is no designated runway or helipad, call "in 

the field"). 

• "Starting Engine." 

• "Taxi." 

• "Departing." 

• "Entering downwind." 

• "Landing." 

• "Deadstick." 
38 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

4.4 Use of Helicopter Rotor Brake 

The helicopter rotor brake [if so equipped] will not be used during Aircraft Engine Starts as a normal, everyday practice. However, during excessively high winds, or other abnormal circumstances 

at the discretion of the pilot, the rotor brake can be used during the start before rotor brake release. 

Use of the rotor brake on shutdown is permissible anytime with a modulated, gradual application 

so as to not cause the rotor to be halted abruptly. At no time shall the rotor brake be depended 

upon to keep the rotor stopped. Rotor brakes have been known to slip. All individuals shall remain 

clear of the rotor during engine starts with the rotor brake applied, and during shutdown until 

blades have come to a full stop. 

4.5 Refueling Procedures 

When refueling, use 87 octane, ethanol-free fuel. Make sure to mix Pennzoil 100% 

synthetic Outboard Marine Engine oil, 5 oz of oil to a gallon of gasoline (25-1). Operating engine with pure gasoline will lead to overheating and seizure of engine. 

The personnel fueling must have prior experience fueling helicopters. Crew is responsible to ensure 

that fuel is of the proper grade and quality and that the desired amount is placed into the fuel 

tanks. PIC may delegate the fueling but retains the responsibility. Crew should verify that the 

refueling equipment is labeled with the name of the product ordered (Chemistry, Octane Rating, 

Oil Ratio, etc), and is properly positioned, and is not under any part of the aircraft that could 

settle during refueling. 

FUel cans should not be backed up to the aircraft. Keep them parked away so that fuel could be 

moved away in case of a malfunction or emergency. 

Bond fuel to the aircraft electrically at the recommended bonding point and ground it before any 

fuel cap is opened or the nozzle is connected. FUel shall pass through a filtering system before 

entering the rotary-wing aircraft. 

No fueling will be allowed if a thunderstorm is in the immediate vicinity of the fueling facility. No 

fueling will be performed while the engine is running, or blades are spinning. All strobe lights will 

be turned off and no radio transmissions shall be made during fueling. All rotary-wing electrical 

systems capable of creating a spark (such as ignition controls) must be turned off before fueling. 

No fueling will be performed without a C02 fire extinguisher present on site with at least 10 lbs 

of charge. One crew member will supervise the refueling and ensure that the rotary-wing aircraft 

is properly grounded before fueling commences. The supervising crewmember will physically check 

the fuel caps for security at the completion of fueling and will ensure that all bonding cables are 

disconnected. The bonding cables and fuel hose must be clear of the rotary-wing aircraft before 

takeoff occurs. 

If there is any question as to the quality of the fuel or fueling equipment being used, a flight 

crewmember will request that a sample be taken from the final fuel filter of the refueler and/or 

from the delivery nozzle being used to refuel prior to accepting fuel. Fuel should have a clear 

and bright appearance and have no evidence of free or suspended (cloudy or hazy) 

water and have no visible particulate matter (dirt, rust, etc.). Fuel that is not clear, 

clean and free from water should not be accepted. Use chart in figure 4.2 to determine fuel 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

4.6. GROUND POWER UNITS 39 

quality. 

4.6 Ground Power Units 

When a ground power unit (GPU) is supplying power to rotary-wing aircraft systems, one person 

qualified to operate the GPU must remain in attendance in the immediate vicinity of the rotarywing aircraft. The immediate vicinity is defined as sufficiently close in proximity to enable the 

person to take immediate corrective action in the event of an emergency. Do not attempt flight 

with aircraft on ground power. 

4.7 Right of Way 

For safety and aviation efficiency, whenever other users of NAS are present, PIC shall not fly, or if 

flying, shall land immediately. In the event other aviation activities are encountered during flight, 

PIC shall always be the one to initiate an avoidance maneuver. All other times PIC must 

show vigilance and avoid areas of potential aircraft activity. PIC shall never perform an over-flight 

of other aircraft by the SUAS, even if it is parked. Whenever possible, ground taxi the SUAS to 

operations point, always confirm clear both sides, and verbalize any safety concerns during brief 

before taxiing . 

4.8 Missed Approach Procedures 

Go around. State initial heading and altitude of missed approach procedure. Verify and validate 

heading and altitude by callout. 

4.9 Test Range Operational and Safety Requirements 

Controlled access zone is the area where SUAS flight and other operations are taking place. Controlled access zone may be defined by natural barriers, engineered barriers, a combination of both, 

or other means such as security monitors. In any case, caution signs as illustrated in figure 9.2 shall 

be posted to warn unauthorized personnel of the risks of trespassing the controlled access zone. 

Supporting stanchions for signs shall be clearly marked with high-visibility material. 

Physical Perimeters: Physical perimeters may be natural or engineered. Natural perimeters 

may be distance, trees, hills, water, or other terrain features. Engineered perimeters may be ropes, 

wires, tapes, fences, or equivalent materials, depending on context and where applicable. Gaps in a 

natural perimeter may be connected by engineered perimeter to a standard wall or terrain feature. 

Security Monitors: Where physical perimeter is not applicable, a security monitor is used. Security monitors are competent to recognize potential hazards and provide access control to the SUAS 

operations. If used, the safety monitor shall be within visual sighting distance of the SUAS and in 

communication with the PIC. The safety monitors shall not have other responsibilities which could 

take their attention from the monitoring function. 
40 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

1 2 3 4 5 

Figure 4.2: (1) Clean fuel with proper mix of oil in it. (2) Water in fuel. Water is heavier and 

settles. Water will pass through fuel filters and can lead to decreased performance, as well as rust. 

(3) Contamination with fine silt. While silt is captured by the fuel filter, but will quickly clog 

it. (4) Dyed fuel. Dyed fuels are intended for specific purposes, do not use. Dye color can range 

depending on the fuel quality and the amount of dye used to color it. (5) Fuel breakdown caused 

by bacteria or microbial activity. 

• 

• 

• ~/ 
• 

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4.10. TEST RANGE REQUIREMENTS 41 

4.10 Test Range Requirements 

Within the conterminous United States, a test range must abide with following rules: 

1. Located outside minimum 5 nautical miles from any airport, heliport, seaplane base, spaceport, or other location with aviation activities. 

2. Away from areas of concentrated human activity. 

3. Established on solid ground, or if waterborne, a solid platform. 

4. Offers sufficient obstruction clearance and ground slope. 

5. Does not pose foreign object damage hazards to rotary-wing aircraft. 

Further, a suitable helipad will be a minimum, 25 x 25 ft wide. This area shall be clear of all human 

activity when the engine is running. The location can be on the ground, a marine vessel, or an 

elevated platform. A suitable landing area will provide a visual means to determine wind direction 

(i.e., wind sock, weather vane, smoke stack, flags, etc.). The landing area is not required to be 

paved, but it may not contain loose objects that may be blown up into the rotor system or engine 

intakes. The landing surface must be dry, firm, level and able to support the weight of the rotarywing aircraft and should have at least one clear approach and departure path. Prior to landing at 

an Off-Test-Site area, the helicopter pilots will confirm with the local authorities that the helicopter 

landings are authorized at the proposed landing location. A high and low reconnaissance of the site 

will be performed prior to committing to a landing. When conducting external load operations, 

rotors will remain above the canopy, or rotary-wing aircraft will operate within an opening no less 

than double the main rotor diameter . 

4.10.1 Controlled Access Zone 

Controlled access zone is the area where SUAS flight and other operations are taking place. Controlled access zone may be defined by natural barriers, engineered barriers, a combination of both, 

or other means such as security monitors. In any case, caution signs as illustrated in figure 9.2 shall 

be posted to warn unauthorized personnel of the risks of trespassing the controlled access zone. 

Supporting stanchions for signs shall be clearly marked with high-visibility material. 

Physical Perimeters: Physical perimeters may be natural or engineered. Natural perimeters 

may be distance, trees, hills, water, or other terrain features. Engineered perimeters may be ropes, 

wires, tapes, fences, or equivalent materials, depending on context and where applicable. Gaps in a 

natural perimeter may be connected by engineered perimeter to a standard wall or terrain feature. 

Security Monitors: Where physical perimeter is not applicable, a security monitor is used. Security monitors are competent to recognize potential hazards and provide access control to the SU AS 

operations. If used, the safety monitor shall be within visual sighting distance of the SUAS and in 

communication with the PIC. The safety monitors shall not have other responsibilities which could 

take their attention from the monitoring function. 

4.11 Noise Abatement 

All operations must adhere to any published noise abatement procedures and voluntary curfews 

except when the safety of flight is involved. Special test ranges and highest acceptable altitudes 

shall be flown to reduce the noise . 
42 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

4.12 Minimum Landing Fuel Reserves 

SU AS is equipped with three fuel tanks; two main tanks and one auxiliary tank, also known as 

a header tank. The minimum reserve fuel planned to be on board the helicopter at the time of 

landing is one half header tank (sufficient for approximately 30 minutes of flight, less with payload, 

not to dip below 10 minutes). The minimum fuel reserve is not intended to be used as a landing 

fuel target. 

4.13 Tail Number 

The tail number of the aircraft should be applied on a contrasting part of the fuselage, using black2 

letters, as large as practicable. Tail number should be covered in clearcoat spray to protect it from 

exhaust fumes, which contain oil, and can dissolve exposed lettering. 

4.14 Mixed SU AS Operations 

If another SUAS is encountered in flight, helicopter must avoid the flow of fixed-wing aircraft. PIC 

must use his or her discretion to avoid a collision between two SUAS. 

4.15 Use of Floats 

Any over-the-water flight, including departures and approaches from a waterborne platform, require 

appropriate flotation devices installed which will prevent the aircraft from sinking in case of a water 

landing. These devices must be functional during over-water departures and approaches. No flight 

will be conducted over water without this equipment. No flight will be conducted over water that 

is more than visual range from the flight crew regardless of float use. No flight will be conducted 

over water where boat traffic or otherwise humans may be present regardless of float use. 

4.16 Portable Electronic Devices 

No person other than the flight crew may operate a personal radio transmitter, television receiver, 

cellular phone or any other electronic device known to emit electromagnetic or radio frequency 

emissions that could interfere with the rotary-wing navigation systems during flight. 

4.17 Required Publications 

In either laminated hardcopy or digital format (such as on a tablet computer), current copies of 

this handbook, Aircraft Maintenance Log (AML), Pilots Flight Log (PFL) must be carried by the 

crew, in addition to a current set of aeronautical charts, instrument approach procedure charts and 

applicable supplemental information. Where available, the subscription shall include color, shaded 

terrain and/or pictorial approach charts. 

4.17.1 Aircraft Maintenance Log 

Every maintenance performed on the rotary-wing aircraft is logged in this book. A standard 

Jeppesen or ASA maintenance logbook shall be ·used. 

21£ the aircraft is painted in a dark color use a contrasting light color instead. 

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4.18. FLIGHT PLANNING AND NOTAM 43 

4.17.2 Pilot Flight Log 

Every flight performed on the rotary-wing aircraft is logged here and every pilot must maintain 

their own. A standard Jeppesen or ASA pilot logbook should be used. 

4.17.3 Engine Log 

Engine log is the flight log of the engine (not the airframe) for maintenance purposes. A standard 

Jeppesen or ASA engine logbook should be used. 

4.17.4 Charts 

Most recent and active aeronautical charts of the test range should be carried and monitored for 

changes. 

4.17.5 Tail Number Verification 

At all times the rotary-wing aircraft shall carry a unique tail number. This number shall be visibly 

displayed on the fuselage where space is appropriate and safe to do so. Letters and numbers shall 

be made as large as practicable. Applicable contact information is to be linked to this number that 

links the rotary-wing aircraft with the company at all times. 

4.18 Flight Planning and NOTAM 

Prior to flight, PIC must become familiar with the confined area of flight by assessing risks to people 

and property in immediate vicinity both in surface and air. PIC is responsible for flight planning 

and related information such as ground transportation, servicing requirements, reservations, etc. 

PIC shall make the maximum use of available information and specialized equipment, such as 

computer flight planning or commercial weather services. PIC shall also determine the latest status 

of NOTAM restrictions.3 

4.18.1 Takeoff Minimums 

PIC may not takeoff from a test range when the following objects are present within 100 feet of the 

rotary-wing aircraft: 

• People who are not participating in the SUAS operation. 

• Animals or wildlife. 

• Air, Ground, or Naval Traffic. 

• Buildings taller than single story. 

• Overhead power lines. 

• Radio towers and similar structures that are tall and difficult to see. 

PIC may not take-off if it means flying over any person at any time for any reason. 

3Helicopters are not normally included in the NOTAM reports issued by local flight service facilities. PIC should 

check manually . 
44 CHAPTER 4. NORMAL PROCEDURES 

Figure 4.3: All rotor blades must be marked for high visibility. This blade has been properly marked 

to meet visibility requirements. An inverse of this paint scheme would have been very bad since it 

would leave the tip black. To highlight the travel of blade tips, the tip should always be in lightest 

contrasting color. 

4.18.2 Landing Minimums 

Except in an auto-rotation emergency, PIC may not land on a test range when the following objects 

are present within 100 feet of the rotary-wing aircraft: 

• People who are not participating in the SUAS operation. 

• Animals or wildlife. 

• Air or Ground Traffic. 

• Buildings taller than single story. 

• Overhead power lines. 

• Radio towers and similar tall structures. 

4.19 High Visibility Markings 

A spinning rotor is invisible to human eye if the rotor blades are of uniform color. High visibility 

markings in accordance with FAR 29.1565 are required. While FAR 29.1565 states tail rotors only, 

considering the smaller scale of said markings should be applied to bot main and tail rotor blades, 

all blades, marked so that corresponding rotor disc is conspicuous under normal daylight ground 

conditions. 

Blades can be sourced from multiple manufacturers and not all of them mark the blades by default. 

If a blade arrives unmarked, the marking procedure should be performed professionally, and the 

blades re-balanced after markings are applied. 

While many marking designs can be used, alternating color stripes, of two contrasting colors, are 

best. Recommended colors are gloss black and gloss white. School-bus yellow may be substituted 

for white. Pattern must be aligned such that the tip of the blade should not be marked black. 

Figure 4.3 is a good example of professionally applied high visibility markings. 

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Chapter 5 

PERFORMANCE 

5.1 Speeds 

The helicopter is designed to handle incredible amounts of stress but there are limits. Never-exceed 

speed, VNe, is 80 knots calibrated airspeed in clean configuration. When payload bay is attached, 

VNE is 50 knots. These speeds are adjusted to be 0.9 times the maximum forward speed possible, 

substantiated for advancing blade tip mach number effects under critical altitude conditions. Note 

that VNE may vary with altitude, r.p.m., temperature, and weight and remain conservative. 

5.2 Gearing for Different Rotor Configurations 

The gear ratio is a factory setting for two blades. If more blades are to be installed, the main 

rotor RPM needs to be reduced and the best way to do this is by gearbox adjustment rather than 

throttle adjustment. The engine has a narrow RPM band for optimum power, do not use 

throttle to defeat having to adjust gear ratio! The helicopter's lifting ability may be 

severely impacted by this practice. Use the gear chart in figure 5.1 to determine gear ratios. 

Optimal gear ratios for this class of helicopters are between 7 and 10. 

5.3 Airframe Category 

The aircraft is a single main rotor, single engine helicopter constructed primarily of carbon-fiber 

and metal. The primary fuselage structure is stacked plate carbon fiber and machined aluminum. 

The tailcone is a monocoque structure in which aluminum skins carry primary loads. Fiberglass 

and thermoplastics are used in the secondary structures such as engine cooling shrouds, ducts and 

fairings. Side doors provide access to the main gearbox and drive system. Additional access to 

controls and other components for maintenance is provided by removable panels. Payload bay is 

positioned at the bottom of the aircraft between landing skids, and is removable. 

5.4 Aerobatic Capability 

This aircraft is designed as a high-lift helicopter, not a high-speed or high-agility helicopter. Recommended flight profile is gentle lifting and transporting of payload bay. Intentional performing of 

aerobatic maneuvers is prohibited except emergency conditions could deem it necessary. The pilot 

PIC will refuse any flight or situation which he/she considers hazardous or unsafe. 

45 
46 

MilllmumSUMofPlnlonfSpurGear::.JOOT 

MaKimum SUM DfPinion/SpurGear = 1151 

Internal 8elt Drive Rallo 2:1 (19:3$T) 

AliFiguresare Final Otiw Rallo tsPur/Pinionxl) 

CHAPTER5. PERFORMANCE 

PlnlonSJtesAY&Uablel.5T·50T 

SpuJGearSiZf!$Avaltilbfe65T·8ST 

UIETI~~~~~~ 

Figure 5.1: Chart of gear ratios. 

Figure 5.2: SUAS main components. Note that auxiliary tanks, payload, fuselage, removed to show 

detail. 

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Chapter 6 

WEIGHT & BALANCE 

6.1 Payload 

Empty weight is 18 pounds. The aircraft can accept 25 pounds of payload, including fuel. Fuel 

density is 6.073 pounds per US gallon. Fuel capacity is 32 + 64 + 64 ounces of 87 octane gasoline 

with 25-1 mixture of Pennzoil 100% synthetic outboard marine oil, which is approximately 7.8 

pounds of payload if all tanks are filled, resulting in 3 hours of endurance. See figure 6.1 which 

illustrates a typical payload-range diagram. There is a natural trade-off between payload and range 

performance. The shape of the curve is such that the aircraft is able to carry a maximum payload 

over a specified range as illustrated in the grey area along points "A" to "B". Longer ranges can be 

flown if operator is willing to reduce its payload in exchange for fuel as illustrated in the blue area 

along points "B" to "C". The trade-off continues until point "C", which is the maximum operational 

range with full fuel tanks. Along points "C" and "D" fuel is maxed out therefore the trade-off is 

one of compromising payload in order to achieve greater range. 

6.1.1 Weight and Balance 

CG point is located on an imaginary line passing through the rotor mast and extending below the 

aircraft. Actual CG occurs inside the engine when the aircraft is empty. Payload balance must me 

maintained within 4 inches of CG laterally and 12 inches of CG above the engine and 24 inches of 

CG below the engine. This is shown in figure 6.2. 

Recommended gross take-off weight (GTOW) of the aircraft is 45 pounds. Center of Gravity reference is main rotor shaft. With all equipment installed, 25 pounds will ensure a CG within limits. 

For lower weight, compute weight and balance; removable ballast may be required to obtain CG at 

or forward of aft limit. Fuel burn causes CG to move forward during flight. Always determine safe 

loading with empty fuel as well as with takeoff fuel. Payload may be limited by forward CG as fuel 

is burned. 

Refer to figure 6.3 which shows auxiliary fuel tanks installed. There is one tank per lateral side of 

the aircraft. When refueling the aircraft or changing payloads, fill the tanks such that CG limits 

are maintained within safe levels. 

An easy way to verify proper CG is to lift the aircraft suspended from two opposing rotor blade· 

grips (not the blades!) while the rotor is positioned such that blades extend out from the sides 

47 
48 CHAPTER 6. WEIGHT & BALANCE 

r---~" 

25i.A~-------------1' 

~I II 

I 

I 

Maximum 

Payload 

MZFW 

OEW 

Betwe~n 

fuel 

& 

Payload 

Ranse-Nmi 

Ranse 

Aircraft Wel&ht Components 

' ' ' ~ '' '·..-----------~ .,."": :\ .,..,. ; '\ .,. \ .,..,. \ .,..,. \ 

.,..,."" Total Fuel \ 

.,..,. ' \ , : I \ 

"""=Maximum payload 'B =Max range with m;!x payload\: 

: \ 

A-B MZFW limited 

B-C MDTOW limited 

c - 0 Max Fuel Capacity Llrf,ited 

Lines of authorized c~rtified MTOWS 

' ' 

Range 

' ' ' 

. C = Range With max 

fuel capacity 

' 

Figure 6.1: SUAS payload-range diagram. 

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6.2. PAYLOAD LOADING/STORAGE 49 

Figure 6.2: Center of Gravity line. 

perpendicular to flight direction. With fuel tanks empty, aircraft should be ve(y slightly nose heavy, 

indicated by no more than a 5° degree drop of the nose down. 

6.2 Payload Loading/Storage 

Payload must be placed in designated compartment under the aircraft where it will be within proper 

CG, not block airflow (engine and/or aerodynamic) and secured such that it cannot come loose on 

its own during in-flight turbulence. 

6.3 Loading and Unloading with Engines Running and/or 

Blades Turning 

Due to the low-tip path of the main rotor blades, no person may approach the rotary-wing 

aircraft when blades are spinning for any reason, nor can they move toward the tail 

rotor. 

When blades are completely stopped, but engine is running, activities such as loading and unloading 

payload or connecting or disconnecting of cables can be performed if the standard procedures outlined in this section are followed: PIC must be at the flight controls and alert to personnel 

and equipment in the vicinity of the rotary-wing aircraft. All movement should be 

from the side of the helicopter and PIC must supervise the movements. Loose articles 

such as jewelry, clothing, hair, must be secured . 
50 CHAPTER 6. WEIGHT & BALANCE 

Figure 6.3: Starboard side auxiliary fuel tank. When filing those tanks, be mindful of weight and 

balance! 

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Chapter 7 

SYSTEMS & DESCRIPTIONS 

7.1 Aircraft Capabilities 

An industrial grade helicopter based on a Bergen Industrial Twin airframe, upgraded by Rockwell 

Collins to aerospace grade mechanics and navigation grade avionics. Bergen Industrial Twin in 

stock form is a time proven utility helicopter popular among the respected research universities 

around the nation for their reliability and payload potential. The upgrade by Rockwell Collins 

combines this basic airframe with a variety of off-the-shelf as well as purpose designed Rockwell 

Collins components. The resulting aircraft is a Rockwell Collins qualified helicopter that is greatly 

safety enhanced, fully mission capable SUAS. It uses a 52cc engine1 and capable of a maximum 

gross take-off weight of approximately 43 pounds. The UAS maximums for endurance and airspeed, 

in empty and clean configuration, are 3 hours and 80 knots, respectively. Both aforementioned maximums decrease with addition of payload and fuel. 

7.1.1 Control Station and Communication Links 

The aircraft control station consists of a quad redundant, full duplex, frequency hopping spread 

spectrum radio link. The link operates between 2400 and 2450 MHz, by rapidly switching a carrier 

among many frequency channels using a pseudorandom sequence known to both transmitter and 

receiver. This provides a multiple access method in the frequency-hopping code division multiple 

access scheme. This radio system provides positive aircraft control functions, manual override, 

engine kill, as well as telemetry data. Because interference at a specific frequency will only affect 

the signal during that short interval, and the antennas are polarized, and multiple redundant, this 

scheme is an extremely reliable radio connection. Any radio system can be shot down if the strength 

of an interfering signal on same channel is strong enough. We reduce this risk by using multiple 

channels at once. Therefore even if a very strong interfering signal appears on one channel, the 

redundant channels remain almost certainly unaffected. 

Navigation, communication, and situational awareness communication links use the Rockwell Collins 

QNT-200, ARC-210, or similar Rockwell Collins communication systems. The QNT-200 is a small 

form factor two channel multi-band software defined radio for high node and high bandwidth mobile networking connectivity for imagery and full-motion video. QNT-200 provides rapid delivery 

of mission critical information enabling real time decision making. This device .has over 100000 

1Twin cylinder gasoline engine producing approximately 8 horsepower 

51 
52 CHAPTER 7. SYSTEMS & DESCRIPTIONS 

hours deployed in theatre operation. The ARC-210 is a software defined radio architecture military airborne transceiver with embedded INFOSEC capability2 • More than 30000 units are used 

worldwide on over 180 platforms. 

All above systems are connected to one or more mission computers on the ground, providing a host 

of telemetry, control, and flight management options. 

7.1.2 Voice Alert System 

Avionics have a voice alert system with a lexicon of over 300 words, numbers and phrases in English. 

It can be programmed to call out flight modes (see sections 7.1.3, 7.1.4, and 7.1.5) when switching 

from one to another. It can also call out numerical values for fuel, battery voltage, temperatures, 

or any other critical telemetry. If an alarm is triggered the PIC does not need to break visual line 

of sight with the SUAS. 

7.1.3 Flight Controls in Normal Mode 

In normal mode the PIC manipulates the flight surfaces. All primary flight controls are actuated through fly-by-wire systems on the aircraft that terminate in push-pull tubes and bellcranks. 

Bearings and servomechanisms used in the flight control system are sealed and do not require maintenance. 

Flight control operation requires hand inputs from the PIC, utilizing both hands at once. Hands 

are placed on a radio tray that is ergonomically designed for this purpose. It offers an assortment 

of switches, buttons, and dials accessible by fingers without moving the hand. Main flight controls 

are two ballrace mounted Hall-effect control sticks with spherical XY movement. Grip height and 

angle of sticks can be adjusted to achieve the most comfortable hand position.3 There is no force 

feedback on the controls such as a conventional stick shaker, but a global vibration function that 

shakes the entire control tray. There are also visual and audio warnings for the PIC in case aerodynamic envelope of the aircraft is pushed. The cyclic control is mounted on the right stick and 

provides pitch and roll control for the aircraft. Collective is mounted on the left stick and provides 

climb or descent, as well as glide and autorotate capabilities. And rudder is also mapped on the 

left stick which provides yaw and torque compensation capabilities. Cyclic and collective control 

sticks are equipped with adjustable friction devices, allowing the pilot to remove left hand from 

the collective during most flight regimes. The cyclic has a bungee spring which cancels stick forces 

during cruise flight and is self centering. Balancing control and trim functions are implemented 

electronically. 

Engine throttle is correlated to collective inputs electronically, either by a throttle curve or an RPM 

governor. These methods are selectable by the PIC. In governor mode, engine maintains fixed rotor 

RPM regardless of collective. In normal mode, when the collective is raised, the throttle is opened 

and when the collective is lowered, the throttle is closed. 

Rudder operation is gyro-stabilized to assist in gusty conditions and coordinated turns. 

2National Security Agency Cryptographic Modernization Initiative Compliant 3 PIC should always verify the ability to apply full control travel prior to flight. 

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7.1. AIRCRAFT CAPABILITIES 53 

7 .1.4 Flight Controls in Assisted Mode 

In assisted mode, depending on which assisted mode is selected, flight controls are replaced with 

flight commands. For example, in normal mode raising the collective directly causes the aircraft 

to climb. The more the displacement of the stick, the higher the rate of climb. In assisted mode 

raising the collective raises desired altitude. Up collective increases and down collective decreases 

this number, at a variable and regulated4 rate determined by stick displacement. Aircraft will then 

climb and hold this altitude. Other assisted modes are attitude hold, airspeed hold and heading 

hold. They work in similar manner. 

7.1.5 Flight Controls in Autopilot Mode 

Autopilot mode is a special mode where all assisted modes are enabled, causing the aircraft to hold 

a position, heading, and orientation in space indefinitely, automatically resisting wing gusts and 

other disturbances. Stick inputs are ignored. Instead, the aircraft responds to waypoint inputs 

through the mission computer. If such inputs are given the aircraft will fly to those waypoints. If 

a batch of waypoints are given they will be flown in that order. 

7.1.6 Rotor Systems 

The main rotor has two (four, in some configurations) carbon-fiber composite (aluminum in some 

configurations) blades mounted to the hub by coning hinges. The hub is mounted to the shaft by a 

teeter hinge. Coning and teeter hinges use bearings. Blade grips for the main rotor blades provide 

a hinge friction restraint which normally prevents the rotor from folding while stopping or starting. 

Pitch change bearings for each blade are enclosed in a housing at the blade root, filled with oil and 

sealed with an elastomeric boot. Each blade has a thick spar at the leading edge. The skins are 

bonded to the spar. The tail rotor has two (and double, in some configurations) carbon-fiber blades 

and a rigid hub with a fixed coning angle. The pitch change bearings have self-lubricated liners. 

7 .1. 7 Rotor Brake 

If installed, a disc/caliper based rotor brake is mounted on the main gearbox and actuated hydraulically by a servomechanism pushing in a master cylinder. It is recommended to use the rotor 

brake as a parking brake only. That is, do not depend on it to stop moving rotors unless this is 

absolutely necessary, but rather prefer to use it to prevent already-stopped rotors from windmilling. 

When the brake is engaged with the engine off, ignition is disabled. 

Do not depend on rotor brake in high winds; use tiedowns to secure rotor. During storm conditions, 

helicopter should be hangared or moved to a safe area. If helicopter is to be hangared, turn fuel 

shutoff valve off first. 

7.1.8 Drive System 

The engine drives the main gear by means of a clutch. Inner shaft of the clutch transmits power 

from the engine to clutch bell, which is permanently engaged to main gear. The main gear drives 

the main rotor by means of a one-way clutch (for autorotation capability) and at the same time the 

tail rotor by means of a single shaft engaged by a bevel gear. The long tail rotor drive shaft has 

support bearings and damper bearings. The tail gearbox features a single 90 degree bevel gear set. 

4 For example, it will not change fast enough to allow the aircraft enter a vortex ring state . 
54 CHAPTER 7. SYSTEMS & DESCRIPTIONS 

Figure 7.1: Helicopter Drive System, showing clutch and main gears. 

This helicopter does not feature a driven tail. In other words if engine stops in the air, tail 

rotor RPM will drop suddenly while main rotor RPM can be maintained by autorotating. 

This is a design feature to provide more time to autorotate in heavily loaded conditions by 

trading off some yaw control ability. If driven tail option is desired this can be achieved by 

locking the one-way clutch by means of set screw coupling. This will cause the main rotor 

to drive the tail rotor in case of an engine failure. 

7.1.9 Powerplant 

A two-cylinder, horizontally-opposed, overhead-valve, air-cooled, carburated gasoline engine powers 

the helicopter. Engine is equipped with a an alternator, shielded ignition, two electronic magnetos, 

muffler, and induction air filter. A direct-drive squirrel-cage fan mounted to the engine output shaft 

supplies cooling air to the cylinders via a thermoplastic shroud. Engine is started by an external 

handheld starter by means of an extension shaft, both of which that are removed from the rotarywing aircraft after the engine has started. 5 Induction air enters through an inlet on the right side 

of the fuselage and passes through a flexible duct to the carburetor air box. The pilot should read 

and adhere to procedures recommended in the engine manual to obtain maximum engine life and 

efficiency. 

5 Alternatively, a pull-starter may be installed on the engine and remains on the aircraft. 

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7.1. AIRCRAFT CAPABILITIES 55 

Priming System 

A choke priming system is used in cold weather operations in front and left side of the carburetor. 

Engine priming is performed by choking until fuel line visibly fills with fuel. After priming, engine 

can be started. After engine warms up, choke should be released. 

DO NOT FLY WITH CHOKE APPLIED. ENGINE WILL BE OVERLY RICH, 

LIFTING ABILITY OF HELICOPTER WILL BE SEVERELY IMPACTED 

AND ENGINE CAN QUIT UNEXPECTEDLY. 

7.1.10 Governor 

Governor maintains engine RPM by sensing changes in it and applying corrective throttle inputs 

through a servomechanism. Governor can be easily overridden by the pilot. Governor is active 

only above 80% engine RPM. The governor is designed to assist in controlling consistent rotor 

RPM under normal conditions and reduce workload on the pilot. It may not prevent over-speed or 

under-speed conditions generated by aggressive flight maneuvers. It also cannot predict or correct 

engine problems. 

If governor gains or servo are reversed, engine stoppage will result. Verify correct 

installation and operation before flight. 

Governor is also responsible. for mixture control. In-flight leaning with the mixture control is not 

recommended. If mixture is leaned on the ground at high altitude, be sure it is richened before 

descending to lower altitude. Otherwise, engine stoppage may result. 

Centrifugal Clutch System 

After the engine is started, it is coupled to the rotor drive system through a centrifugal expanding 

clutch that engages a clutch bell with brake liner inside it, when the pilot engages the throttle. 

The clutch caution light illuminates whenever the engine is spinning and the rotor is not following 

proper rate (slipping). The light stays on until the rotor and engine are in synch. 

7 .1.11 Fuel System 

The fuel system is pressurized and includes two main tanks, an auxiliary (header) tank, a shutoff 

valve, a fill valve, and filters. The fuel shutoff valve controls flow from all tanks to the engine. 

Fuel tanks may be flexible bladders in aluminum enclosures, or fixed volume polyethylene tanks. 

FUel tank air vents are located on the tanks. Drain valves are provided for fuel tank sump. Silicon 

tubes attached to the valves allow fuel to be carried to the engine through a series of filters. The 

fuel gages are electrically operated hall-effect sensor type. When sensor is tripped tanks are empty 

except ten minutes reserve and a small quantity of unusable fuel in the header tank. 

7.1.12 Electrical System 

A 28 volt electrical system includes an alternator, a regulator, a battery maintainer, and lithium 

iron phosphate batteries. Alternator drive system works through belt(s) tensioned by a tensioner 

pulley. Failsafe battery switches control the battery relay which disconnects the battery from the 

·electrical system. If the switch fails, it fails to on state, that is, 'the batteries are electrically connected to the aircraft. The alternator control unit protects the electrical system from overvoltage 
56 CHAPTER 7. SYSTEMS & DESCRIPTIONS 

Figure 7.2: The engine is a twin cylinder two stroke gasoline engine based on the Zenoah G26. 

Use 87 Octane gasoline with this engine, after mixing Pennzoil 100% synthetic Outboard Marine 

Engine oil at a ratio of 5 oz of oil to a gallon of gasoline (25-1). 

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7.1. AIRCRAFT CAPABILITIES 57 

conditions. A charge and balance control circuit maintains the battery and ensures safety. Redundant voltage regulators supply power to the avionics and aircraft control systems, as well as the 

attached payloads. 

Except for emergency procedures, never operate the aircraft on the alternator alone with 

battery switched off. The battery helps protect electrical equipment from voltage spikes. 

7.1.13 Navigation Lights 

A red anti-collision light is installed on the tailcone. Red and green position lights are installed on 

right and left side of the fuselage, and a white light in the tail. Two landing lights are installed 

in the nose at different vertical angles to increase the lighted area. One landing light is installed 

in the tail to illuminate the tail rotor clearances. Four strobes are installed at the sides, nose 

and tail. Four annunciator lights based on multi-color LED technology are installed such that the 

SUAS can communicate with the ground crew using light signals, for example, to alert about a low 

battery condition. All lights are based on automotive grade, daylight visible light-emitting-diode 

technology. 

7.1.14 Audio COMM System 

PIC and all personnel use a headset mounted voice-activated intercom (VOX). A VOX squelch 

knob is used to set the threshold volume at which the intercom is activated. When the VOX knob 

is turned fully clockwise, keying is required to activate the system. 

7.1.15 Pitot-Static System 

The pitot-static system supplies air pressure to operate the airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator. The pitot tube is located on the front edge of the rotary-wing fuselage. The 

static source is located inside the avionics cowling. Water can be drained from pitot-static lines by 

removing the flexible air tubes. Refer to manufacturer manual for sensor repair, maintenance or 

replacement. See figure 7.3. 

7.1.16 Tachometer 

An electronic hall-effect engine tachometer, and a separate rotor tachometer are installed on Aether. 

With battery and alternator switches off, the tachometers continue to receive power from the battery 

through a bypass circuit. 

7.1.17 Warnings and Cautions 

Warning .and caution systems include audible and lighted alerts for clutch, over-temperature, low 

fuel, low fuel pressure, low RPM, low battery, low signal, alternator, rotor brake, and full throttle. 

7.1.18 Landing Gear 

Helicopter is equipped with a tall tricycle type landing gear. A hard landing will be absorbed elastically by combined effect of tire pressure and shock absorbing struts at each wheel. An extremely 

hard landing will cause the wheel struts hinge outward as the OLEO landing gear mast becomes 

permanently bent to absorb the impact. Crosstubes are designed to crack after absorbing extreme 

shock but hold together for the landing. They should be replaced promptly thereafter. Slight 

crosstube yielding is acceptable. If it has yielded such that helicopter ground clearance is decreased 
58 

HPB 

SPECIFICATIONS 

ld!.if,H!Udf..frM#It@ilM 

Accuracy: (from -40 to 85'C) 

HPB200: ±0,4 hPa maximum 

HPBIOO: ±08 hPa maximum 

HPA200: ±0.03% FS maximum 

HPA 100: ±0,06% FS maximum 

Temperature: t1•c (at sensing element) 

Temperature Range: 

Operating -'10 to 85'C (-'10 to 165"1') 

Storage: ·55 to 90'C (·67 to 194'F) 

Sample Rate••: 8.33ms to 51.2 min 

Resolution: 

00011%FS'" 

Response Delay: 

(1000/update rate) +1ms, minimum 17ms Long Tenn Stability: 

HPB: 0.25 hPa max per year 

HPA: 0 02% FS maxd:ll1r ;ar 

*6@!itffi1®~1'1""71· Pressure Ranges: 

HPB: 500 to 1200 hPa (1 hPa •1 mbar) 

HPA: 0 tons psia 

P...,.u,..Unlts"':atm, bar, cmwc. ftwe, hPa,lnHg, 

lnwc, kg/em', KPa. maar, mmHg, MPa. mwe, psi, 

user,lcom, pis Media Compatibility: Suitable lor non-<:andenslng, 

non-corrosive, and non-combustible gases, 

wahl: :fiim) without flHicys 13 ~·· 1 .nmc 

Output: , S· 32, RS-485 

Power Requl..menta: 

TTL Supply Voltage: 6 to 26 VOC RS·232, RS-485 Supply Voltage: 5.5 to 30 VOC 

Oparating Current 

Standard: 17·30mA: CE: 1J.25mA, TTL:6·9 mA Baud Rate••: 1200, 2400. 4800, 9600. 14400, 19200.28800 

Bus Addrassll'="' Address up to 89 un"•· IDIM:UH.Iffi mee 

(1) Aecurac:y Is the sum of WOf'llt ease lineafity, tepealabilily, 

hysteresis. thermal effects and caHbratlon errors from ..CO to 

850C Calibtation Is traceable to NIST (2) Meehanfeill Shoc::k 

tested par MtL.ST0-8830. M20023, Cond. B Vibration tested 

per MIL·ST0-8830, M2007 2, Cond A (3) User Configuroble 

(4) Best ~eaolulion -- with PFS (percent full scale) pressure units. (5) CE·Marl< per lED 61326. See WNW.ssee.honeywefl comfpressuretdatasheeta for Information 

on test levels and results. Connector MIL.C·26482. shen size t10, 8·pln #20 size. (&) Demonstra~on kit Includes unit power 

supply/data cable (120V), d&m<11111ttalion software. TTL·I<>RS· 

232 converter (TTL only), ancf user manual 

Find out more 

CHAPTER 7. SYSTEMS & DESCRIPTIONS 

CASE OUTLINE 

ORDERING INFORMATION 

Honeywell Precis1on Barometer 

. . HPB Barometer plication, 500 to 1200 hPa (1 h a • mbar) 

HPA AHimeter Apptleetion, 0 to 17.6 psla 

200 

100 

:: ..... :t0.4 hPamex 

:t08hPamex 

:tO.O %FSmax 

±0.06% FS max 

PRESSURE CONNECTION 

' W Brass barbed (118 Inch 10 tubing) 

l X BrassSwagelok"'(1/81nehlemale) 

R Brass barbed, right angle (1/8 Inch 10 tubing) 

F 

SD RS-485 

TTL m 

l#!#riiijfiUMS·I~Ij@ll;!·iilelfl·!tf•*i•11111jijii.J~ 

1 A Standard. fl.ptn plastic connector 

B CE Marl<"' s-pin metal conne<:tor (RS-232, RS-485 only) 

OPTIONS II A Demonstration K1t~1 (RS·232, TTL only) 

Mating Connector (See Balow) 

Power Supply/Data Cable (RS·232, TTL wllh Option G 

only, See Below) 

TrL to RS·232 Converter (TTL only) 

For more information on Honeywell's Precision Pressure Transducers visit us online at www.oressuresenslnq.com or 

contact us at 800·323·8295 or 763-954-2474. Customer Service Email: ssec.customer.servlce@honeywell.com. 

Honeywell reservn the right to make changes to improve rellabltity, funct1on or design, HoneyNefl dOes not assume any liability arising out or the appttcatJon or use of any product or cirant descrtbed herein_ neither does it convey any Ueense under its patent rights nor the rightS of others Covered by one or rt10fe of the rollowlng US Patents 4,918,992 and 4,788.521. 

Honeywell 

12001 Highway 55 

Plymouth, MN 55441 

Tel: 800.323-8295 

www.honeywell.com/pressuresenslng 

Form 11900245 

July 2006 

C2008 Honevwen lntematlonallne. 

Honeywell 

Figure 7.3: Pitot and Static system sensors. 

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7.1. AIRCRAFT CAPABILITIES 59 

by one inch the landing gear should be replaced. Tires are not abrasion-resistant and should be 

inspected regularly. If autorotation landings with hard ground contact have been performed tires 

may be damaged and should be replaced promptly. 

7.1.19 Emergency Locator Transponder 

The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) consists of a small transmitter with external antenna 

and an audio annunciator. In case the aircraft is forced to land in an area where it may be difficult 

to find the landing site, such as a forested environment, ELT will begin transmitting radio and 

audio signals when subjected to a high g-loading to assist in detection and recovery of the aircraft. 

7.1.20 Accessory Mounts 

Provisions exist for mounting small and portable items. These provisions use mounting bars located under the main fuselage as hardpoints, fitted with one or more clamp assemblies which are 

compatible with a variety of commercially available accessory mounts. The accessory mounts are 

intended to provide a safe means of mounting small items and are part of the aircraft type design. 

Items attached are the responsibility of the PIC under appropriate operating rules. 

7.1.21 Aircraft Clearances and Hovering Minimums 

Once engine is running, everyone is to maintain at least 25 feet of distance from all sides of the 

rotary-wing aircraft. Once airborne, the distance extends to 75 feet from all sides. Minimum 

hovering altitude is 10 feet with helicopter facing sideways to the flight crew and spectators, to 

ensure no hovering occurs where main or tail rotor blades are in line with humans in the axis of 

centripetal loading. 

7.1.22 Future Growth 

Autopilot 

Rockwell Collins Athena Integrated Flight Control System shall be used to assist the flight, including 

in non BVLOS fashion. Athena series leverage the patented Rockwell Collins design technologies 

to provide robust flight control algorithms applicable to a wide range of vehicles. This system 

Features GPS/INS navigation solution integrated with state-of-the art multi-input/multi-output 

flight control laws. It provides control modes that include airspeed, altitude, climb rate, angle 

of attack, sideslip, 3-D auto navigation and auto takeoff/landing. It uses highly reliable solidstate sensors, including accelerometers, rate gyros, magnetometer, air data pressure, AoA and 

sideslip sensors, along with a differential-ready, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver for a full INS/GPS 

navigation solution. Continuous built-in test capabilities are included. Autopilot performs three 

main functions. 

Sense and Avoid Capability 

Sense and Avoid shall be handles by the SAA (sense and avoid) mission computer, part of Athena 

system, and a set of laser, radar, GNSS and radio based sensing mechanisms. Rockwell Collins 

TCAS and JPALS experience shall be utilized for precision approaches. As a further precaution 

the aircraft shall not be operated in areas where it can encounter full scale aircraft traffic . 
60 CHAPTER 7. SYSTEMS & DESCRIPTIONS 

Simulating Lost Links 

Rockwell Collins is a leader in the integration of live aircraft in Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) 

training systems, and participates in NASA UTM effort. 6 LVC technology can be used to to 

simulate lost link procedures. LVC incorporates live, virtual, and constructive elements into a 

single training environment, bringing realistic live training directly to tactical airborne systems. By 

integrating lost link procedures and simulations with live assets, the realism of UTM training can 

be radically enhanced without the inherent risk. 

• Incorporates a sensor suite that provides a full attitude, navigation and air data solution for 

use in vehicle flight-state measurement and control. 

• Has an onboard processor that runs the algorithms necessary to provide this data and fully 

execute vehicle flight-control functions. 

• Equipped with a range of signal input/output capabilities that enable it to integrate with 

aircraft systems. 

6We have been selected by the Office of Naval Research to investigate flight safety requirements for such exercises . 

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Chapter 8 

HANDLING, SERVICE, & 

MAINTENANCE 

8.1 Abstract 

A helicopter incorporates a number of fatigue life-limited components which must be inspected at 

specified time intervals. This section outlines the Preventative Maintenance (PM) and Corrective 

Maintenance ( CM) for Subscale Helicopters. There are two major enemies of a subscale helicopter 

(machine) broadly classified as proximity incidents (PI), and natural depreciations (ND). PI includes any type of unintentional contact between the machine and foreign objects of any size, 

except clean air, especially when one is moving faster than the other. PI may occur during flight, 

ground transport, or hangar storage. ND includes all types of degradation for perishables of the 

machine, as well as fatigue due to stresses of flying. Like any delicate instrument, PM is the key 

to manage both PI and ND. PM involves taking simple systematic steps in care, and servicing, 

to maintain th~ machine in safe airworthy condition. It involves systematic inspection, detection, 

and correction of incipient failures, to preserve and restore machine reliability by replacing worn 

components before they actually fail. Maintenance should be performed by qualified personnel. A 

pilot may function as a mechanic when the helicopter is not available due to maintenance, provided 

the pilot has all the qualifications and experience required to· act as a mechanic on a contract. 

Typical PM steps may be classified as in following sections. 

Without special training, technicians and mechanics are not qualified to perform the these inspections. These inspections must be performed only by properly rated personnel who have successfully 

completed an approved maintenance course of instruction on the helicopter. 

8.2 Airworthiness Determination 

The final responsibility for determining airworthiness of the rotary-wing aircraft rests with the flight 

crew. In addition to completing a pre-flight check, the crew shall thoroughly review and satisfy 

himself/herself that the aircraft is in an airworthy condition. These responsibilities include but are 

not limited to ensuring: 

• Compliance with all applicable service bulletins . 

61 
62 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

• Compliance that the planned flight or series of flights will not exceed the time remaining for 

the time/date maintenance requirements. 

• Compliance that all inspection due dates, hour or cycle limits have been carried forward and 

are not past due. 

• Compliance that all maintenance discrepancies have been corrected or deferred, record entries 

completed and signed by a certified technician approving the rotary-wing aircraft for return 

to service. 

• Compliance that the deferred items do not render the rotary-wing aircraft unsuitable for the 

planned flight or series of flights. 

• Compliance that all required equipment are on board and all documents are present with the 

crew. 

8.3 ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS 

8.3.1 Radios 

Once before every flight day, range check all radio systems. To perform this, put all radios 

in reduced-power mode and verify all radios operate from 75 meter away line of sight of aircraft. 

Verify the GPS antenna is connected and secure. 

8.3.2 Sensors 

Once before every flight day, verify all sensors are connected and apertures are ,clean. 

8.3.3 Strapdown IMU 

Once before every flight day, verify the strapdown IMU mounts are secure and shock isolation 

mounts are operative. Verify there are no magnetic sources around this device. 

8.3.4 Pitot Tube 

Inspect pitot and static sources for obstructions such as dust particles, plants, or bugs. Never blow 

into the tubes either by mouth or compressed air source. You will damage the sensitive instruments. 

8.3.5 Antennas 

Once before every flight day, range check all radio systems. To perform this, put all radios in 

reduced-power mode and verify all radios operate from 75 meters away at line of sight of aircraft. 

8.3.6 Batteries 

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• 

8.3. ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS 

• Min. discharge voltage = 2.5V 

• Working voltage = 3.0 3.3 V 

• Max. charge voltage = 3.65V 

• Volumetric energy density= 220 Wh/dm3 (790 kJ/dm3 ) 

• Gravimetric energy density i 90 Wh/kg (i 320 J/g) 

• 100% DOD cycle life, number of cycles to 80% of original capacity = 20007000 

• 10% DOD cycle life, number of cycles to 80% of original capacity i 10000 

• Expect 71% capacity after 8000 cycles 

• Cathode composition: 90% C-LiFeP04, grade Phos-Dev-12, 5% Carbon EBN-10-10 

(superior graphite), 5% PVDF 

• Cell configuration: carbon-coated aluminium current collector, 1.54 cm2 cathode 

• Electrolyte: Ethylene carbonate-Dimethyl carbonate (EC-DMC) 1-1 LiCl04 1M 

• Anode: Graphite or Hard Carbon with intercalated Metallic lithium 

• Charge: Up to C/1 rate up to 3.6 V, then constant voltage at 3.6 V until I i C/24 

63 

Once before every flight day, ensure that the cells are neither over charged nor discharged . 

Then load-test the battery using an approved load-tester, ensuring the voltage does not drop below 

3. 7 volts per cell. The batteries should be stored with a minimum of 50% charge and during long 

storage, they should be stored in a place where they can stay room temperature. Batteries that 

are exposed to extreme cold and do freeze, will more than likely need to be replaced. Maintain a 

battery log that details the service date of the battery and charge cycles. 

A discharged battery (any cell below 3. 7 volts at any time) is not airworthy because it will no longer 

hold charge, and thereby not have the reserve capacity to operate the electrical system should the 

charging system fail in flight. 

Safe Battery Handling and Charging 

While lithium batteries have been safely used in helicopters for many years, lithium being a volatile 

metal batteries can be dangerous if mishandled. Always respect the the battery. Failure to read 

and follow the below instructions may result in fire, personal injury and damage to property. 

• Batteries have two separate leads. The shorter lead with white JST connector is for charging 

and balancing only. The second longer lead is for discharging by the helicopter. See figure 

8.1. 

• Use extreme caution not to short the batteries. If a short occurs and contact is made with 

metal (such as rings on your hand), severe injuries may occur due to the ring heating up 

(possibly to welding temperatures) due to conductibility of electric current. This also puts 

enormous stress on the battery and can result in structural failure of the battery, exposing 
64 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

Figure 8.1: The batteries use A123 lithium iron phosphate cells in 282P configuration. The 16 

gauge red and black cables terminating with female Deans type connector are discharge cables, red 

is positive and black is negative. The 24 gauge JST connector is the balance port, black is ground, 

blue is first cell pack (half voltage) and red is second .(full voltage). 

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8.4. MECHANICAL SYSTEMS 65 

fire and caustic chemicals. If at any time battery is shorted, move away from it and observe 

for 15 minutes. If stable, place battery in a bucket of saltwater away from any combustible 

materials and leave overnight. Discard battery the next day following site specific recycling 

procedures. 

• Use specific Lithium Polymer charger only. Do not use a NiCd or NiMh charger or lead-acid 

charger. Failure to do so may cause a fire. 

• Never charge batteries unattended. Charge in an isolated area, away from other flammable 

materials on a concrete surface outside of buildings. Preferably place battery in a ceramic 

pot or ammunition box or a fireproof container for added safety. If at any time you witness a 

battery starting to balloon or swell up, discontinue charging process immediately. Disconnect 

the battery and observe it in a safe place for 15 minutes. If stable, place battery in a bucket 

of saltwater away from any combustible materials and leave overnight. Discard battery the 

next day following site specific battery recycling procedures. 

• Never store or charge a battery pack inside a car. Battery needs to be cooled during a charge. 

Since extreme temperature buildup is possible in a closed car, this could cause fire. 

• Let the battery cool down to ambient temperature before charging. 

• Never charge batteries packs in series. Failure to do so may result in incorrect battery recognition by the charger, overcharging may occur and fire may be the result. 

• When selecting the cell count or voltage for charging purposes, select the cell count and 

voltage as it appears on the battery label. Selecting a cell count or voltage other than the one 

printed on the label can cause fire. Confirm the information printed on the battery is correct 

by counting balance wires on JST connector. Ann cell battery has n + 1 balance wires. For 

example a 4-cell battery had 5 balance wires. 

• Store unused battery at room temperature in a fire-proof container. Such container should 

be designed and constructed to limit the internal temperature to not more than 325 ° F when 

subjected to a standardized 10-minute fire test when closed. Use at least No. 18 gage sheet 

metal and double walled with 1.5 inch air space. The door should be provided with a threepoint lock. Battery storage cabinets should be conspicuously labeled, "Lithium Batteries -

Keep Fire Away." Purpose designed fire-proof Kevlar battery containers and ammunition 

boxes are also good places to store batteries if labeled properly. 

• Never puncture the battery. Puncture of cells exposes lithium to air, and this may cause fire 

since lithium can spontaneously combust when it contacts oxygen. 

• Batteries that lose 20% of their capacity must be removed from service and disposed of 

properly. Voltage is never a good indicator of a battery's capacity. The proper method to 

determine capacity is to put the battery through a charge-discharge cycle and monitor total 

current flow. Most modern chargers have this function. 

8.4 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS 

8.4.1 Fuselage 

Every 10 hours of flying, detach the aerodynamic shell of the machine (if one exists), clean with 

a glass cleaner to remove fuel and oil residue, and visuaJly inspect for defects. If there is any sign 

of cracks the component should be replaced . 
66 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

8.4.2 Landing Gear 

Every 10 hours of flying, visually inspect landing gear for signs of stress. It should not be bent 

and there should be no cracks. If there is any sign of bending or cracks the component should be 

replaced. 

8.4.3 Bearings 

Every 100 hours of flying, manually inspect the bearings by rotating them. They should turn 

smooth with no resistance or grinding. Bearings in the machine are sealed maintenance free, and 

designed to last a very long time. Typically between 1000 and 2000 flight hours. They should be 

replaced only when they start developing slop or notches. The time to replace bearings depends on 

the ABEC grade of the bearing; refer to bearing manual. 

8.4.4 Servomotors 

Once before every flight day, ensure that the servomechanisms are securely fastened and move 

freely. Cracks in servo arms can cause severe damage; replace immediately at slightest sign of 

defect. 

8.4.5 Blades 

Once before every flight day, inspect all rotor blades for defects. The blades should be absolutely 

perfect. 

8.4.6 Gear Boxes and Shafts 

Every 10 hours of flying, all moving metal to metal contacts that move should be lubricated 

using a lithium or Teflon based dry lubricant. All moving metal/acetal, or acetal/acetal contacts 

should be kept clean (and not lubricated). 

8.4. 7 Clevises and Heirn Joints 

Every 10 hours of flying, inspect all clevises and Heim joints are securely fastened to the servo 

horns and the ballcranks, swash plates, or other equipment they are moving. Heim ·joints should 

not pop out of their socket except when deliberatelly pulled using ball-link pliers. That is, hand 

power should never be enough to dislocate them; otherwise they are worn and need to be replaced. 

Secure the clevises by slipping a small piece of fuel tubing over the closed clevises. 

8.4.8 Tailboorn 

Once before every flight day, verify that the meshing between main rotor and tail rotor does 

not exceed 5 degrees of free play. If it does (or the rotors can spin independently) do not fly. 

Inspect the belts and gearboxes to identify the problem. Most problems can be prevented by 

maintaining proper meshing and tension. Drive systems expand and contract with temperature. If 

the temperature is significantly different than it was during last flight, adjust tensioners accordingly. 

If the machine is to be is stored for a long period of time, the drive tension of' the belt or the shaft 

should be released. 

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8.4. MECHANICAL SYSTEMS 67 

Figure 8.2: When inspecting landing gear (1) inspect hub for tightness and free rotation, oil if 

necessary (2) verify that the tires are not separating from the wheels (3) verify the tires have 

diamond thread pattern at least 0.025 inches deep (4) verify OLEO shock absorption functions and 

(5) verify the OLEO tube is not bent 
68 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

Figure 8.3: Verify servo free movement by rotating the servo. Ensure there is no binding, and 

gearbox does not make grinding sounds. 

Figure 8.4: Lubricate points indicated with dry lubricant. 

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8.5. PROPULSION SYSTEMS 69 

8.4.9 Drive Belts 

If equipped, drive belts must have the proper slack prior to engine start. Belts which are too loose 

may jump out of their sheave grooves. With clutch disengaged, press in on belts with fingers. 

Verify belts deflect approximately 1/4 inches. If belts are significantly looser than this, have them 

adjusted prior to engine start. After engine start, engage clutch and verify tail rotor turns within 

5 seconds. If rotor does not turn within 5 seconds, shut down and have pulleys adjusted prior to 

flight. Newly replaced drive belts may be tight and cause the rotor to turn during engine start. 

This places unnecessary strain on the starter and drive system. If necessary, stretch new belts. 

8.4.10 Cleaning 

To clean the helicopter exteriors use mild dish soap and water. Avoid harsh abrasives, alkaline 

soaps, solvents, or detergents. Avoid gasoline, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, thinner, acetone, or 

window (glass) cleaners. Rinse away loose dirt with a soft brush before cleaning solution is applied 

with a soft cloth. To remove stubborn oil and grease, use a cloth dampened with aliphatic naphtha, 

denatured alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol. Automotive wax may be used to preserve painted surfaces. 

Never use high-pressure spray to clean helicopter. Never blow compressed air into 

main or tail rotor blades, or any other part of the aircraft. 

Avoid use of cleaning solutions near any sensor. Tape off sensor housings if necessary using painters 

tape. 

8.5 PROPULSION SYSTEMS 

8.5.1 Break-in Procedures 

Every time a new engine is installed, or the engine has been overhauled that includes replacement 

of piston, piston ring, and cylinder head, a break-in procedure is required. This ensures proper 

seating of piston and cylinder, as in newly machined form they will be rough, thereby not seal 

properly. This necessitates different running procedure until these surfaces properly mate each 

other. Break-in procedure is important - do not take shortcuts with it; the helicopter 

nay not perform at full potential if the engine is not broken in properly, and this 

situation cannot be repaired without a new engine. 

Prepare 2 gallons of 87 octane ethanol free gasoline. Gasoline should be fresh and free of stabilizers 

or other additives. Mix 12 ounces of Pennzoil 100 % synthetic marine outboard oil to the two 

gallons of gas (20-1 ratio). 

It is preferable to perform this operation on a cooler day with gentle headwinds. Fly the aircraft, 

slowly, with a rich carburetor needle setting, and no payload, into the headwind, until 2 gallons 

of gasoline is spent. Keep fuel for landing, do not spend all fuel in the air. Perform gentle maneuvers, always keeping the engine in plenty of airflow. Do not perform sudden climbouts. 

Never allow the engine to get hot during this procedure. If there is excessive smoke this indicates 

an overheating condition, cool the engine immediately. 

During break-in procedure the engine has a higher-than-normal chance of quitting if 

it encounters a less dense air pocket. This is due to the fact you have richened the 

mixture and added more oil, meaning oxygen requirements have changed and became 

more sensitive. Be prepared to enter autorotation at any time • 
70 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

After break-in is complete, engine can be used as normal (25-1 fuel-oil ratio). 

8.5.2 Fuel Tank 

Every 100 hours of flying, drain all the fuel in the tank, disassemble it, and replace all fuel 

lines. Secure all fuel lines to fuel nipples using twist wires. Make sure that the fuel lines are secure, 

fuel system is leak-proof, and that the clunk can swing freely. Verify the fuel tank seals have not 

hardened. If hardened, replace them. 

8.5.3 Clutch 

Every 100 hours of flying, inspect the clutch for liner spacing by pushing a business card between 

the clutch and the liner. The card should be a snug fit. It it falls off the liner needs to be replaced. 

8.5.4 Fuel 

Once before every flight day, ensure there is fresh, clean fuel in the tank. A Jeppesen Fuel 

Tester may be used for this procedure. Stale fuel, dirt and debris are the most common cause of 

starting problems. If the aircraft is to be stored with untreated fuel in the tank, it can lead to engine 

damage. It is best to store the aircraft in drained condition at all times, even if it means to discard 

unused fuel. If the aircraft should absolutely be stored with fuel in it mix fuel stabilizer into the fuel. 

When refueling, use 87 octane, ethanol-free fuel. Make sure to mix Pennzoil100% synthetic Outboard Marine Engine oil, 5 oz of oil to a gallon of gasoline (25-1). Operating 

engine with pure gasoline will lead to overheating and seizure of engine. 

8.5.5 Fuel Filters and Tubes 

Every 100 hours of flying, inspect all fuel lines and filters. The lines should be clear yellow, 

and soft, and smooth, and flexible. If the lines feel stiff, sticky to the touch, hard to bend, or have 

cloudy appearance replace them with TYGON yellow tube of same diameter. Inspect fuel filter for 

debris. If found, flush clean with denatured alcohol. Fuel filter should not offer any restriction of 

fuel flow. If there is restriction, replace the filter. 

When replacing fuel lines, secure all lines no nipples using twist-wire, as shown in figure 8.5. 

8.5.6 Carburetion and Ignition 

Every 25 hours of flying, remove and clean the carburetor using a commercial carburetor cleaner. 

Remove and wash the air filter using warm water and dish soap. Oil the filter using a commercial 

air-filter oil. If filter looks damaged, drain, cut filter open and then discard it. Replace with 

new filter. When replacing the spark plugs, check that the spark plug gap is set properly (see 

below). Problems with ignition system can also prevent a spark; these are faulty spark plug leads, 

shorted kill switches, or flywheel key damage. To test for these problems remove the spark plugs, 

but leave them connected to the ignition system. Ground the plug to the engine. Spin the engine 

with no fuel in it and verify all spark plugs produce a spark. Be careful not to touch the plug during 

this procedure to prevent a very painful shock. · 

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8.5. PROPULSION SYSTEMS 71 

Figure 8.5: Secure all fuel lines using twist wire. A power tool may make this procedure faster, but 

be careful not to damage the fuel line by over tightening . 
72 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

Figure 8.6: Spark plug engine health diagnosis chart. 

Only use NGK CM-6 spark plugs1 . Always replace both plugs together. Plug gap is .018" to 

.020" (.38 to .50 mm). Never operate the ignitions without a spark plug in the plug caps as this can 

permanently damage the ignition coils. Use the spark plug chart in figure 8.6 to determine spark 

plug health and correctness of engine settings. 

8.5. 7 Compression System 

Every 100 hours of flying, check engine compression using a leak down tester. Air-fuel compression is crucial to the engine. The compression system is made up of valves, piston, cylinders 

and rings that control how fuel vapors move through the engine. Valves let air in and out, pistons 

push the air-fuel mixture to the ignition system, and piston rings keep the system sealed. If any of 

these systems produce a leak they should be replaced. Verify valve clearance according to engine 

manual. Valves that stick or have leaks can cause an engine to stop running. 

8.5.8 Power Lubricants 

Every 25 hours of flying, change oil in the engine if four cycle engine is used. For two cycle 

engines, oil is pre-mixed with the fuel and crankcase scavenged to lubricate the engine. Simply add 

a few drops of oil through the spark plug hole and spin the engine once. Never add oil to the 

fuel for a four cycle engine! A properly oiled engine does not produce smoke. lf the engine 

emitting white or blue smoke while running this means engine is burning oil. Black smoke means 

carburetor adjustment is required. 

1 0ther plugs may screw in, but not fit the plug caps firmly. 

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8.5. PROPULSION SYSTEMS 73 

8.5.9 Cooling System 

It is critical that all cylinders of the engine get an equal amount of air flow, directed into the upper 

area of the cylinders then down through the cylinders and out the bottom area of the helicopter. 

Verify an outlet opening approximately 2~ x larger than the intake for the hot air to escape. Air 

must flow through the cylinder fins, not just inside the cowl, to properly cool the engine. Do not 

let the air take the easy way out; clear all obstructions and make it go through the fins. Depending 

on the location of the exhaust system, and cowl airflow, the carburetor may need some air cooling 

also. A hot carburetor can behave erratic in flight or make the motor hard to restart. Placing heat 

shielding material between the exhaust and carburetor can help. Verify this shield is in place . 
74 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

8.6 ENGINE TROUBLESHOOTING FLOWCHARTS 

Figure 8.7: Engine drawings. 

---Seizure, intrusion of a foreign substance Disassemble and repair 

The fuel has not been fed to the carburetor --Disassemble an c ean -[

Clogging inside the · d 1 

l carburetor C!o~glng of the fuel --Clean 

p1p1ng 

carburetor (normally 7 kg/em' spark plug 

The fuel has been fed to the 1 No compression L Loosened - Tighten further 

99.5 psi or more) Abrasion or damage of -Replace 

The STOP switch has ---Turn ON 

been turned OFF 

Wiring is disconnected Repair 

The spark plug is defective --Replace 

The ignition module is defective -Replace 

The air gap is too large Adjust 

The spark plug gap is too large -Adjust 

Com ression adequate the cylinder, piston, or piston ring 

Wet plug _ Remove the spar.k plug and dry 1t 

The carburetor has 

not been properly - Readjust 

adjusted 

Th~ fuel is not ___ Replace suitable 

Figure 8.8: Flowchart-A: troubleshoot starting problems. 

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• 

8. 7. CARBURETOR SETTINGS (ENGINE TUNING) 75 

or IS abnormally heavy 

lit suddenly stops ILTh~ crankshaft does not rotate See a) 

rotates Wiring disconnection Repair 

The crankshaft lThe plug cap has come off ---Put back 

Spark plug bridge Use a standard plug 

Use clean fuel 

The STOP switch has Turn ON 

been turned off 

It slows down and stops Out of fuel ---Refuel 

Not out of fuel --r The fuel is not fed to the carburetor -See a) 

L Water is mixed in the fuel Replace 

Figure 8.9: Flowchart-B: troubleshoot self stopping problems. 

E The carburetor has not beeen properly adjusted Readjust 

~-------1-i----- Air suction from a carburetor joint or oil seal Repair 

l Abrasion of the piston ring Replace 

The fuel is not suitable Replace 

Overheating --fclogging of the muffler or exhaust port due to carbon -- Clean 

The spark plug heat range is not proper Replace 

Figure 8.10: Flowchart-C: troubleshoot reduced power output problems . 

--- Seizure, intrusion of a foreign substance Disassemble and repair 

The fuel has not been fed to the carburetor --Disassemble and clean 

-[

Clogging inside the . 

l carburetor . C!oggtng of the fuel __ Clean 

ptplng 

carburetor (normally 7 kg/em' spark plug 

The fuel has been fed to the 1 No compression L Loosened - Tighten further 

99.5 psi or more) Abrasion or damage of -Replace 

The STOP switch has ___ Turn ON 

been turned OFF 

Wiring Is disconnected Repair 

The spark plug is defective --Replace 

The ignition module is defective -Replace 

The air gap is too large Adjust 

The spark plug gap Is too large -Adjust 

Compression adequate the cylinder, piston, or piston ring 

The spark plug does spark 

Wet plug _ Remove the spar~ plug and dry 11 

The carburetor has 

not been properly - Readjust 

adjusted 

Th~ fuel is not ___ Replace swtable 

Figure 8.11: Flowchart-D: troubleshoot stopping problems. 

8. 7 Carburetor Settings (Engine Tuning) 

Refer to the diagram in figure 8.12 for this section. The carburetor is the most important part 

of reliable engine operations. It works on Bernoulli's principle; fast moving air has lower static 
76 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

pressure (and higher dynamic pressure). The throttle controls airflow (and not flow of liquid fuel) 

by means of a throttle valve. Engine uses a a sidedraft carburetor, popular type for automotive use 

in compact cars. The main disadvantage of basing a carburetor's operation on Bernoulli's Principle 

is that, being a fluid dynamic device, the pressure reduction in a Venturi tends to be proportional 

to the square of the intake air speed. The fuel jets are much smaller and limited mainly by viscosity, 

so that the fuel flow tends to be proportional to the pressure difference. There are adjustments 

on the carburetor to correct this. This adjustment, the mixture adjustment, is the most 

important engine adjustment since it also controls engine lubrication by drawing oil 

droplets from fuel. 

Engine performance is directly linked to the fuel mixture. Richening the fuel mixture increases the 

amount of fuel in the air/fuel mixture ratio and leaning the fuel mixture decreases the amount of 

fuel in the air/fuel mixture ratio. Slightly lean fuel mixtures deliver stronger, more efficient combustion and more power, but with less lubrication. Slightly rich fuel mixtures deliver cooler running 

and more lubrication but with slightly less power. Tuning the engine means finding the perfect 

balance between the two; excellent power while maintaining good lubrication for long engine life. 

The optimal fuel mixture setting is rich to provide a safety margin against having a lean condition 

if some variable changes (such as the temperature from one day to the next). Use the table in figure 

8.13 for readjustments. When readjusting the carburetor, make 1/16 turn changes at a 

time and test-fly each time. The needle is extremely sensitive. 

General fuel mixture settings are measured by the number of turns the needles are turned out 

from fully closed. The fuel mixture settings on a new carburetor have been pre-set from the factory to typical break-in settings. Do not readjust carburetor from the factory settings until after 

the engine is started and running, and broken in. For proper break-in procedures read section 8.5.1. 

8.8 Transportation of Aircraft 

Transportation of the rotary-wing aircraft while not under its own power is subject to the instructions outlined in this section. 

8.8.1 Towing Procedures 

Aircraft shall be towed to and from test ranges secured inside its own designated trailer, or suitable 

ground vehicle. Instructions for preparing the rotary-wing aircraft for a tow, both before and after 

flight, are outlined in this section. These are intended for 4-blade rotor head. For fewer blades, 

remove them in the order such that head does not stay unbalanced. 

Preparing for Tow 

1. Drain all fuel from rotary-wing aircraft. 

2. Secure trailer by applying all applicable brakes and supports. Open and secure all trailer 

doors. 

·3. Apply rotor brake, or otherwise prevent rotors from turning freely from two opposing blade 

grips. 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

8.8. TRANSPORTATION OF AIRCRAFT 

AIR Basic Carburetor 

(Cross Section) 

Float Arm 

Hlgh~Speed Power Loss 

Overheating 

LEAN 

DANGER! Cuftfng-out: stamngfor Hlgh-8peed 

PerlotmanCB 

77 

Oplimum =t Optimum 

forCflmbfng 

&Low Speed 

Operation SAFE RANGE 

_j 

RICH 

Sluggish Performance 

Bresk·ln Settings 

Figure 8.12: The basic carburetor. Special design features are needed to prevent fuel starvation 

which are not shown here. 

Fuel Mixture Adjustment Chart 

If the ••• is .. then the air density is ... 

Slightly m~re dense 

Sfightly less de.f'lse 

More dense 

·More dense 

Le~sdense. 

More dense 

Less dense 

Figure 8.13: FUel mixture table . 

adjust (correct) the 

fuel mixture to be ... 

Slightly richer 

Slightly leaner 

Leaner 

Richer 

Richer 

Leaner 

Richer 

Leaner 

Richer 

Leaner 
78 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

Figure 8.14: Main rotor blade installation and removal procedures. Do not allow any lubricants 

contaminate blade roots. 

4. Remove rotor blade 1. Secure blade in the blade tote. Replace blade bolt(s) and locknut(s) 

back into the rotor blade grip 1 and hand tighten until snug. Mark rotor blade to the grip 

you removed it from. It is essential to install it to the same grip. 

5. Remove rotor blade 3. Secure blade in the blade tote. Replace blade bolt(s) and locknut(s) 

back into the rotor blade grip 3 and hand tighten until snug. Mark rotor blade to the grip 

you removed it from. It is essential to install it to the same grip. 

6. Remove rotor blade 2. Secure blade in the blade tote. Replace blade bolt(s) and locknut(s) 

back into the rotor blade grip 2 and hand tighten until snug. Mark rotor blade to the grip 

you removed it from. It is essential to install it to the same grip. 

7. Remove rotor blade 4. Secure blade in the blade tote. Replace blade bolt(s) and locknut(s) 

back into the rotor blade grip 4 and hand tighten until snug. Mark rotor blade to the grip 

you removed it from. It is essential to install it to the same grip. 

8. Place blades inside the blade tote and secure with protective foam, lock and stow the tote in 

the trailer. 

9. Loosen and fold tail rotor blades while keeping their pitch as flat as possible. Rotate the tail 

rotor such that blade tips face towards the rotary-wing aircraft. Secure rotor assembly to 

tailcone using velcro straps. 

10. Loosen tailcone locknuts and support bolts. Remove tailcone from rotary-wing aircraft and 

load it into the trailer, securing in to the designated mount point using cargo straps or belts. 

11. Team-Lift the rotary-wing aircraft and secure into the trailer using ratcheting tow straps. 

12. Check area for any ground support equipment left behind. Lock the trailer, connect to vehicle 

and tow away. · 

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• 

8.8. TRANSPORTATION OF AIRCRAFT 79 

Deployment after Tow 

1. Secure trailer by applying all applicable brakes and supports. 

2. Remove blade-tote from trailer. 

3. Team lift the rotary-wing aircraft and place on firm, level ground. 

4. Mount the tailcone. 

5. Install blades in 1, 3, 2 and 4 order ensuring they are matched to their numbered or color 

coded respective grip. Tighten each grip until the blade is so snug it does not fold under 

its own weight, but no more. It is essential to install it to the same grip. Blades 

are balanced in a particular arrangement. Breaking this arrangement can lead to 

dangerous levels of vibration. 

8.8.2 Storage 

When not in use, and not under maintenance, the rotary-wing aircraft shall be stored in its respective mobile trailer, where said trailer shall be parked in a secure location with surveillance. The 

control station required to operate the aircraft shall be stored elsewhere, in another secure location 

with surveillance. 

8.8.3 Ground Handling 

The helicopter may be maneuvered on the ground using the landing gear as ground handling wheels . 

Move the helicopter by holding the tail rotor gearbox and aft tailcone section. Push gently, while 

lifting the nose a bit, Do not move helicopter by gripping vertical fins, outboard part of horizontal 

stabilizer, tail rotor, tail skid, or tail rotor controls. Do not lift the helicopter manually off 

the ground. It is fragile, and too heavy to be safely lifted by one person . 
80 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE 

Figure 8.15: Folding procedure of the blades is shown. Extend blades in opposite order. When 

extended, torque the blade bolts just tight enough they do not collapse under their own weight in 

orientations when rotorshaft is horizontal. 

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• 

8.8. TRANSPORTATION OF AIRCRAFT 81 

Figure 8.16: Only use approved vehicles to tow the SUAS trailer. The company van 3023 is the 

authorized towing vehicle, as well as the mobile control station. Van 3023 is equipped with the 

ground control systems necessary to operate the SUAS. Observe proper towing safety procedures 

when using the trailer to transport the aircraft: LOAD, SECURE, LOCK, COUPLE, TOW 
82 CHAPTER 8. HANDLING, SERVICE, & MAINTENANCE • 

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Chapter 9 

SUPPLEMENTS 

83 
84 

• GIRC:Uif 3. AC OU1IJ!'t 2D AIIPI 120 VOLT PRGM MNDATQR OR 10 AMP SHORI U .. HOU UNR. OH WAU. IXTifUOA wmt Atn'OMATIC TRANiftR 

aWITCit 

laS POtmGN IIANAHA JACKI20 _._114 VOLT PROM ~ 12 VOLT IIATRRIII WIRIID IN AIIUUD.IM.TflllttH 

ARe Clf.Ul8D PROM THB IHNUATOR Tti1IOUBH A ............. 

CIRCUIT a. AC OU'I'LIBT 20 AMP 1120YOLT IPRQM UNIIIL\TOR OR 

iOU: UHL ON WALL 

• CIRCUIT t. AC OV1'LI!1' ZO AMP /120 VOLT PROM GaDA TOR OR 

KOU UN._ ON WALL 

1DC: oun.D 18 Mill I 12 VOLT PROM CHAUII JIA'ITIUIY ON WALL 

diXfiiiUDII oPI OUILIT ZO AMP NOll GeNUA TOR OR IHOIU! UNI! 

CHAPTER 9. SUPPLEMENTS 

Ullt.IITU.Y.UONG UC«Of"LM ..... AU.IJIMBNaRIHS AI'PJIOX. 

Figure 9.1: Van 3023 floor plan. 

• 

• 
• 

• 

85 

Figure 9.2: Security perimeter signs, print at least 12x12 inches and laminate. Display one sign per 

200 feet apart. 
86 

CHAPTER 9. SUPPLEMENTS • 

• 

Figure 9.3: Print at least 12x12 inches and laminate. Distribute to all personnel. 
• 87 

Figure 9.4: Print at least 12xl2 inches and laminate, attach to aircraft trailer. 
88 

MAIN & TAIL ROTOR: Jesus 

bolls; .linkages, servos OK, 

freedom of rotation, meshing 

MANifOLDS· & FIL llRS: 

conditi6n, cleanliness 

Charge TK batteries, v<>rifv TK. 

programming, 

Verify air filter is installed. 

Inspect landing gear for signs 

of stress. 

lnsf)eCt clunks. 

CHAPTER 9. SUPPLEMENTS 

Replace airf!Her. Replace S.rvo arms. 

Service muffler. Replace all, clevises. 

Figure 9.5: Suggested Maintenance Schedule Chart. Numbers above chart indicate frequency of 

maintenance, numbers below the chart indicate expected hour-cost of maintenance. Keep with the 

aircraft. 

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•