Do helicopters have an autopilot system that most jets have?

Question

I know most jets have an autopilot system which enables pilots to fly a jet without manual control..but What about helicopters? Do helicopters have this kind of autopilot system too?

Answer 1

It has been several years now that Bell helicopters had an autopilot certified for helicopters. They use GPS sensors for navigation. On the early models, they would pass the target and back up to a hover. This was unacceptable if you were going to land on a drilling platform, because you would fly into the rig. It was perfected at a great cost. more than some helicopters cost new. That is why most helicopters don.t have an autopilot.
An excellent article can be found here:
http://www.defensedaily.com/cgi/rw/show_mag.cgi?pub=rw&mon=0404&file=0404hands.htm
Helicopters with 3 axis autopilots include Sikorsky S76+++, Bell 429 and others.

Answer 2

Helicopters can be installed with a variety of items such as attitude retention systems, stability augmentation systems, and autopilots. The autopilots in instrument certified helicopters are often far more advanced than anything you would find in an airplane. They can control pitch and roll through the cyclic, yaw through the anti-torque pedals, and vertical velocity through the collective. They are four axis autopilots whereas airplanes only have three axis systems. Many of the IFR helicopter autopilot systems can shoot a coupled GPS approach and stop in a hover at the end of the approach. They are still working on these types of systems using Differential GPS and I saw a demonstration at the HAI convention a few years back. A BK-117 flew a hands off mock approach to a point in the parking lot at the convention center in Las Vegas. It stopped in a 15 foor hover exactly where it had been parked before it had left.

Since autopilots in airplane basically handle an already stable aircraft, they don't need to be as sophisticated. Helicopter autopilots have to make many more corrections and are far more complex, so you typically only see autopilots in multimillion dollar IFR helicopters, although lately, they are installed as options on lower priced VFR helicopters.

A company is currently working on a light helicopter SAS and autopilot system. It will be available for installation in several light helicopters according to their website and the article listed below.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Do helicopters have an autopilot system that most jets have?
I know most jets have an autopilot system which enables pilots to fly a jet without manual control..but What about helicopters? Do helicopters have this kind of autopilot system too?

Answer 4

Some helicopters do have a form of autopilot. For example, the Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon has a Digital Automatic Flight Controls System (DAFCS or just AFCS). I have been told its standard in the majority of Sikorsky products, but I can't confirm this (I can for the MH-53E). The USCG HH-65 Dolphin also has AFCS. AFCS It includes such functions as Barametric Altimeter hold, Radar Altimeter hold, and a few other basic auto pilot functions. There is also an Approach/Hover Coupler that at the push of a button, the aircraft will depart, or come to a hover, and even land, all by selecting one of three buttons and manually manipulating a few knobs. It does have a few other functions but it is not CAT III capable like a B737-7XX or simular platform. It does provide, do a limited degree, hands-off flying simular to jets.

Answer 5

The answer is most definitely yes.
A series of waypoints (positions, heights, speeds, approach modes and angles) can be programmed into a nav computer just like a fixed wing, couple it to the Automatic Flight Control System, press the button and off you go.
It is unusual for a helicopter to be landed or taken-off under auto control due to the versatility of the helicopter to land in a variety of places, but it can be done with the right equipment on board.
Military helicopters tend to be far more advanced including a variety of search and rescue modes (being able to search and home in on survivors ultimately ending in a hover above them), and tactical flight modes.

Answer 6

Yes, some of the more complex turbine helicopters have an autopilot system. However, the majority of helicopters do not have autopilot systems, especially your reciprocating engine helicopters.

Answer 7

Some military helicopters, especially naval aircraft, have an auto-hover facility which maintains height above the sea by means of a radar altimeter, but no pilot I know trusts the electronics in a helicopter very much - they're too unstable.

Answer 8

As far as I know no helicopter has been made with an autopilot system.

Answer 9

yes in most helicopters they do but some like the ch-47 Chinook don't have one because it would just be to much for a computer to handle but others like the Lynx or the Apache have.

Answer 10

The answer is yes they do, and also they have an auto hover system to keep on station in bad weather.