Patent ID: 8556216

Claim:
A support assembly for a helicopter control stick, the assembly comprising a supporting structure and an instrument panel fixed to each other; and connecting means for connecting said stick to said supporting structure; said connecting means comprising: an arm elongated in a longitudinal direction and having one end for supporting said stick; guide means for connecting said arm in longitudinally sliding manner to said supporting structure, to move said end to/from said supporting structure; and rotation means for connecting said arm to said supporting structure in rotary manner about a horizontal axis, to adjust the height of said end; said assembly further comprising: first releasable retaining means operated manually to lock rotation of said arm with respect to said supporting structure in a desired angular position; and second releasable retaining means operated manually to lock at least longitudinal translation of said arm with respect to said supporting structure in a desired longitudinal position; said first and second releasable retaining means being independent of each other so that, when said second releasable retaining means are released to permit longitudinal translation of said arm, the angle of the arm about said horizontal axis is still locked by said first releasable retaining means and remains unchanged; said horizontal axis extending transversely between the longitudinal ends of said arm.