The Impact of the Installation of Digital Avionics Equipment on the Power Consumption of the Helicopter

Abstract

The subject of the following paper is to analyze and present the impact of the type of avionics built on a helicopter on its energy requirements. The test object was SOKOL helicopter with different versions of equipment: - Classic avionics (analogue); - A partially modernized version (enhanced with digital elements); - Theoretical upgrade with a fully implemented ‘glass cockpit’. This is an important topic, as it emphatically demonstrates the extent to which the development of technology in the avionics market influences the overall design of a new helicopter and how cost-effective it is to upgrade in-service machines. There is no doubt that the glass cockpit has a positive impact on pilot ergonomics. All necessary information is on fully customizable displays and the human-machine interface itself is significantly simplified in operation (compared to analogue avionics), clear and pilot-friendly.