18 June 2019: Sikorsky and Collins Aerospace Systems have developed a new fly-by-wire retrofit solution that lets autonomous flight for rotary and fixed wing aircraft. The demonstration of the technology was carried out as part of Sikorsky's Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) system. On May 29, Sikorsky's S-70 OPV Black Hawk flew for the first time as part of the DARPA Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme.
The new system is designed for safety-critical applications. It is triple redundant and substitutes a mechanical system of rods and pulleys with electromechanical actuators controlled by an improved flight control computer. Collins Aerospace engineers and Sikorsky worked together to design this "jam free" system with purely magnetic coupling, which removes the need for gearing, ball screws or clutches. This is the first time such a system has been used in a safety critical aerospace application.
The innovative design of the fly-by-wire solution allows much of the logic that would typically reside within the primary flight control computer to now reside externally in its own control module or the actuator itself. This has further simplified the system architecture and increases reliability. The system is designed in such a way that it allows it to be installed without modifying the hydraulic system or hydraulic actuator, eliminating the need for re-qualification of the hydraulic system and thus giving a more affordable retrofit option.