HeliSAS Brings Affordable Stability Augmentation to Light/Medium Helicopters

June 6, 2009 - (MINERAL WELLS, Texas) The Cobham HeliSAS is a stability augmentation system (SAS) and two-axis autopilot that provides attitude stabilization and force feedback to the cyclic control for helicopters with hydraulic controls.

The HeliSAS Stability Augmentation System provides unparalleled safety and pilot workload reduction through enhanced stability for lighter helicopters. HeliSAS makes hands-off operations, autopilot procedures, and automatic attitude recovery possible.

The HeliSAS is designed to be engaged at all times: “On” before takeoff, and “off” after landing. The “force feel” (force trim) feature enhances handling characteristics and mitigates inadvertent cyclic control inputs that could result in dangerous attitudes. The pilot may override the HeliSAS at any time with manual cyclic inputs. In cases where a pilot may lose visual reference due to limited visibility conditions, releasing the cyclic allows the helicopter to automatically return to a near-level attitude.

Cobham Avionics, Integrated Systems delivers component and integrated system solutions for helicopter, special mission, general aviation, and air transport markets. Our pioneering synthetic vision EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System) has been approved for installation on more than 740 models of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and is the only synthetic vision system certified in all four regulatory classes of aircraft: large and small airplanes, and large and small helicopters.