Sid,
Please note, your last post uses quite a lot of British army abbreviations that myself and others will find difficult to understand. For example, I have no idea what CREST refers to.
I wouldn't expect you to know the FRCs if you have never flown the Blackhawk. However, the tail stabilator IS part of the AFCS system on these aircraft, it is constantly motoring,even in cruise flight. Also, a failure of the collective pitch boost system requires the rapid intervention of two people to deal with, possibly even three hands on the controls due to the very high control load feedback, so single pilot ops is not a wise move. It's not just a matter of "dumping the AFCS and landing ASAP" as it is with some smaller aircraft.
Your appraisal of what is required to deal with "any engine malfunction" is over simplified in my book (I speak as an ex-military simulator project chief instructor). Have you ever dealt with an engine runaway UP? Or an oscillation? They are not nearly as simple to deal with as a failure or rundown, especially in an aircraft with such a wide cockpit with the ECLs in the roof.
Regarding your comments on crew complement, in particular the aircrewman (or pilot)/left seat occupant up front. Would he become a separate "trade" to the crew person/s down the back of the aircraft? Who would deal with USL work and pax handling?
Or would you have two aircrewmen (a P2/observer/ crewman up front and a Gunner/crewman down the back) who were dual qualified and swapped roles? This would increase the crew training and currency requirement considerably. How would the rear crewman cope with gunnery and crewman roles together or would this not be a factor for a battlefield helicopter? (This is the reason the US military and others carry two rear crew or sometimes more, the gunnery positions are NOT in the doors).
I don't understand your reference to corporal pilots. Are you saying that army pilots are corporals, or should be corporals? Or, are you just saying that the left seat occupant should be a corporal, whatever he is called?
If the latter is true, would he, being of exactly the same education and skill level as the right seat occupant, a sergeant, staff sergeant or warrant officer, be happy to be there in the first place, rather than electing to fly something himself and earn far more?
I'm not saying it can't be done, but there is no simple answer. The RAF have operated light/medium SH for years and have tried many variations on who sits LHS. However, they keep coming back to two FULLY qualified pilots up front because it works best.
