Army Looks to Test Optionally Piloted Black Hawks
Skyryse, developer of the SkyOS operating system for flight, will work with the military to equip the utility helicopters with automated systems.
A digital rendering depicts the cockpit of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter equipped with Skyryse’s SkyOS system. [Courtesy: Skyryse]
For U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilots, piloting may one day be optional.
Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) announced Tuesday, Army aviation experts will work with engineers from Skyryse, developer of the SkyOS flight operating system, to see how pilots might benefit from higher degrees of automation.
“By combining the Army’s operational expertise with Skyryse’s leadership in rotorcraft flight controls and automation, we have a unique opportunity to make flying simple and safe enough that any serviceperson can fly any aircraft,” said Mark Groden, CEO of Skyryse.
Flying an airplane is challenging enough. But helicopters are even more complex with their cyclic, collective, and pedal controls. Pilots must monitor and toggle between each throughout all phases of flight, particularly during the landing.
SkyOS, though, comprises only a single joystick and touchscreen interface. The system is not an autopilot, but it does simplify and automate the controls of any aircraft, rotorcraft or airplane. According to Skyryse, the fly-by-wire solution is triple redundant and packed with safety features, such as an automated autorotation system that set a Guinness World Record in November.
Skyryse has equipped SkyOS on its own proprietary model, Skyryse One—a modified Robinson R66 the company claims is the first fly-by-wire helicopter operated using a single control stick and pair of touchscreens. But the Army is looking to introduce the technology to its fleet of 2,400 Black Hawks and other helicopters. The partners will test how the system affects safety, simplicity, and efficiency.
Skyryse is also partnering with Black Hawk reseller Ace Aeronautics to automate hundreds of additional rotorcraft.
The firm is not the only developer of automated flight software to earn a U.S. Department of Defense contract. Competitors Reliable Robotics and Merlin Labs, for example, have similar arrangements to test and develop their tech.
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