Genesys HeliSAS Autopilot
The Lightweight, Easy to Install and Affordable autopilot solution for your Bell or Eurocopter.
STC'd on the Bell 206, Bell 407, AS350 and R66.
The designers of the HeliSAS® Autopilot and Stability Augmentation System have a long history of research and development of flight control systems for civilian and military helicopters.
Now Cobham makes the tremendous safety and workload reduction advantages of stability augmentation, once reserved for military and transport category helicopters, available for a wide range of rotorcraft models.
The HeliSAS stability augmentation system is designed to be engaged at all times - “SAS on” before takeoff and “SAS off” after landing - to provide unmatched stability and ease of handling. It dramatically reduces pilot workload while providing precise control during all modes of flight, regardless of wind conditions or shifts in weight. The attitude stabilization and force feel features enhance handling characteristics and mitigate 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 causes the helicopter to automatically return to a near-level attitude. With the HeliSAS Autopilot and Stability Augmentation System, Cobham sets a new standard in helicopter safety.
Stability Autopilot + Augmentation System
The HeliSAS Autopilot and Stability Augmentation System provides a number of workload reduction and safety enhancements:
Significant stability improvement.
Pilots with no helicopter experience have successfully hovered a HeliSAS-equipped helicopter with very little practice.
Automatic recovery to near-level flight.
If the helicopter is inadvertently flown to an extreme attitude, releasing the cyclic when the HeliSAS is engaged will automatically return the helicopter to a near-level attitude (roll trim limits are +5o to -5o and pitch trim limits are +11o and -6o). The autopilot system provides many of the functions found in very heavy, expensive helicopter autopilots, but at a fraction of the cost and weight.
The following descriptions refer to the control panel pictured below:
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SAS. This is the system engagement button. SAS provides attitude stabilization at all speeds.
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HDG. Selects the desired heading the pilot wants to fly. If a Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) is installed, HeliSAS will fly to and maintain the heading selected by the heading bug. If there is no HSI, the HDG function will maintain the existing GPS track.
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NAV. The active GPS, VOR, or Localizer course will be automatically intercepted and tracked when NAV is engaged. VOR and Localizer coupling require an HSI. GPS does not.
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BC. HeliSAS will intercept and fly a back course localizer approach (requires an HSI).
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ALT. Maintains the existing altitude for an indefinite period.
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VRT. Vertical navigation allows automatic flying of ILS glide slope or GPS VNAV if a WAAS-enabled GPS is installed. Both functions require an HSI.
Robinson R44 Demonstration Video (Note, this system is not yet available for the R44, if you're interested, let us know and we will keep you posted)
Bell 206 Demonstration Video.