The world's first automatic helicopter landing system

An American startup has achieved an impressive achievement in aviation safety by completing the world's first automatic landing system using an "autorotation" mechanism.

US startup Skyryse said it will unveil its first helicopter model equipped with the company's new control system in early 2024. The system includes a number of safety features, including the world's first fully autonomous self-rotation system for emergency landings, Interesting Engineering reported on November 15.

Autorotation is an emergency procedure that allows the pilot to land the helicopter in a smooth and controlled manner when the engine fails. It involves a series of maneuvers and techniques that utilize the stored energy from altitude, airspeed, and rotor speed to slow the descent and landing.

When an engine fails, the pilot must first release the control stick immediately to reduce drag on the top rotor, ensuring it continues to spin. There are only a few seconds at most to do this after an engine failure. The automatic clutch will separate the main rotor from the engine. Next, the pilot must depress the right pedal, as the loss of engine torque will cause the helicopter to start rotating to the left.

The pilot then has to find the speed that will keep the plane in the air for the longest possible time (usually around 70 mph, but it varies by plane), and then choose a location for an emergency landing. Next, the pilot must perform delicate and complex maneuvers to bring the plane gently to that location.

Skyryse’s new system streamlines this process, helping it navigate even the most difficult situations. It uses sensors and proprietary redundant flight controllers to detect engine failure in time. Once activated, the system automatically performs a series of actions—from pitch and nose leveling to stability control and soft landing.

Skyryse successfully demonstrated its fully autonomous spinning system at its Flight Test and Demonstration Facility in Los Angeles on July 22. Guinness World Records officially recognized this as the first autonomous spinning landing of a propeller-powered aircraft.

The new technology reduces the risk of engine failure, which requires pilots to act quickly and accurately. With manual autorotation, pilots only have a few seconds to perform complex maneuvers to land. Skyryse’s system not only detects engine failure immediately, but also autorotates more efficiently, maintaining higher main rotor speeds, thus providing pilots with more power reserves.

Thu Thao (According to Interesting Engineering )

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