American startup achieves impressive aviation safety milestone by completing the world’s first automatic landing system based on “autorotation”.
American startup Skyryse announced that at the beginning of 2024, they will unveil the first helicopter equipped with the company’s new control system. This system includes several safety features, including the world’s first fully automated autorotation system that assists in emergency landings, as reported by Interesting Engineering on November 15.
Skyryse demonstrates helicopter landing using the automated autorotation system. (Video: Skyryse).
Autorotation is an emergency procedure that allows pilots to land helicopters safely and under control when the engine stops functioning. This mechanism involves a series of maneuvers and techniques that leverage stored energy from altitude, airspeed, and rotor speed to slow down the descent and land the aircraft.
When the engine fails, the pilot must immediately release the collective control to reduce drag on the main rotor, ensuring it continues to spin. There are only a few seconds to perform this action after engine failure. The automatic clutch disconnects the main rotor from the engine. Next, the pilot needs to apply right pedal input, as the loss of engine torque will cause the helicopter to yaw to the left.
Following this, the pilot must determine the airspeed that will keep the helicopter aloft for the longest time possible (typically around 111 km/h, but this varies by aircraft), and then select a suitable location for an emergency landing. The pilot must then execute precise and complex control maneuvers to bring the aircraft down gently at the chosen site.
This is the first autorotation landing of a helicopter equipped with rotors.
Skyryse’s new system streamlines this process, allowing it to navigate even the most challenging situations. The system employs proprietary sensors and backup flight controllers to promptly detect engine failures. Once activated, the system automatically executes a series of actions—from adjusting the tilt, aligning the aircraft’s nose, to stabilizing and soft landing.
Skyryse successfully demonstrated the fully automated autorotation system at the company’s Flight Demonstration and Testing Facility in Los Angeles on July 22. The Guinness World Records officially recognized this as the first autorotation landing of a helicopter equipped with rotors.
This new technology reduces the risks associated with engine failures—a scenario that requires pilots to react quickly and accurately. With manual autorotation, pilots have only a few seconds to perform complex control maneuvers to land the helicopter. Skyryse’s system not only detects engine failures instantly but also efficiently performs autorotation, maintaining higher rotor speeds, thereby providing pilots with more reserve energy.
