Convertiplane Control during Transition: the Collective and Throttle Lever (CATL)

Abstract

Control of convertiplanes during transition is a challenging task. This work focuses on the development of the interface be-tween the pilot and the flight control thrust axis command. The goal is to provide the pilot with an ergonomically well-designed and intuitive inceptor and thus, minimizing human errors and increasing flight safety. The paper follows the development of the innovative thrust inceptor called the Collective and Throttle Lever (CATL) at the Center for Aviation at the Zurich Uni-versity of Applied Sciences from 2015 to today. The various phases of the CATL development are described starting from the concept phase, continuing with the development of the prototype and its integration with the XV15 simulation model and a real-time simulator and concluding with the description of the preliminary testing and results. The obtained positive results provide some insight into the problem. Further investigations and trials are needed for a more thorough assessment of the inceptor. These will be the subject of future works.