PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - AS332L2 Ditching off Shetland: 23rd August 2013
Old 6th Sep 2013, 13:26
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KG86
 
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A number of posters are clearly confused when they hear that, in the L2, cyclic controls altitude or vertical speed.

In most helicopters, collective controls those two parameters, and cyclic controls speed and direction. However, in the 50s and 60s, the French broke away from this tradition. In their helicopters, they decided it would be better to fly at a fixed collective pitch, and fly the ac like a fixed wing. (And, at the same time, they decided to make their rotors go around in the opposite direction to everyone else!)

So their AFCS systems are optimised with different rules to 'most' helicopters, with the vertical channel being controlled by cyclic.

It's not wrong, it's just different. Pilots become used to it very quickly, and think it normal. But it can confuse those not au fait with ze French way.
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