Industry and Technology: Performance Calculations? There’s an App for That! download. This powerful tool was developed to help H-60 Summary of MH-60 R/S AVP crews gain quick and accurate insights into performance Each section of AVP uses standard inputs. The inputs characteristics; primarily for safety, but also for mission section is at the bottom of the iPad display (Figures 1 capability. Without a clear understanding of performance and 2). After making adjustments for weight parameters, capability and limitations, pilots and crew can put themselves environmental data, aircraft/engine configuration, etc., the and their aircraft at risk, as findings from numerous mishaps user taps the “Calculate” button and outputs are updated. On across the services have shown. Reducing instances of the Hover Page (Figure 1), calculated engine power available “power required exceeds power available” is one of the is depicted. Highlights on power available indicate where top safety goals for rotary wing aviation. AVP can provide engine output exceeds transmission ratings. Power required foresight on helicopter performance where mishap reports for Hover In Ground Effect (HIGE) and HOGE are displayed, have traditionally provided the hindsight. And while there are along with a comparison between power available and power many elements to mission planning, AVP fills a critical need required (i.e. – the power margin cited in the scenario above). and has a number of advantages over the conventional method Hover endurance and a quick reference to the aircraft’s single of performance calculations using hand-held charts. engine envelope are also displayed. First, the convenience of having such a tool on a handheld tablet is clear. AVP can be utilized in the class room, ready room, while reviewing maintenance records, as well as in the aircraft itself before or during flight. The hardware is portable, lightweight, standalone and approved for use. Therefore, NAVAIR’s AVP development team is able to focus on building the software and data source for any aircraft series. Second, as naval aviators, we know that, “The only thing for certain is that things will change.” Whether it is a change in mission, cargo, personnel, altitude, temperature or winds, AVP will produce all performance calculations with incredible speed and accuracy, a significant improvement over attempting to use the multitude of small, cumbersome charts Figure 1 – AVP Hover Page in a PCL. Third, the user interface is another advantage of AVP. On the “Level Flight” page (Figure 2), calculated engine While various features and functions of AVP can be tailored power available is also depicted. Unlike the hover numbers, for a specific community, NAVAIR’s Airworthiness Office however, these values are also a function of the operating (4.0P) has standard performance parameters and layouts. speed entered by the user (because power available increases This, combined with implementing best-practices in the as forward speed increases). The left-hand side of the “Level development of tablet applications, means that AVP is Flight” page displays outputs that reflect the power-required easy to use and intuitive. Anyone familiar with helicopter curve for the specific conditions (PA, OAT, Weight and Drag). performance terms, calculations and limitations (such as an These give the user a quick reference to the best number to use aircraft’s limits on weight, speed, torque, etc.) can effortlessly as an operating speed. The user can enter one of these values begin using AVP. or enter a value representative of the mission (e.g. – 120 knots Finally, software download of the AVP application makes for Instrument Flight Regulations (IFR) cruise). Once the updates to the performance calculations much faster and more operating speed is entered, the user presses “Calculate” again cost effective than distributing hard-copy charts to every to see the influence on range and endurance. holder of the Naval Operating Procedures Standardization Figure 2 – AVP Level Flight Page (NATOPS) flight manual. This applies to the performance data within the source code as well as with the functionality and features incorporated in the App. The initial release of AVP (version 2.6.1) is for the MH60R and MH-60S and functions on the iPad or iPad Mini. Versions that are compatible with the Android operating system are expected during a 2015 sustainment phase for improving AVP. The App provides three main capabilities: “Hover” performance calculations, “Level Flight” performance calculations and calculations for Functional Check Flights (FCF) and engine Health Indicator Test (HIT) Checks. An Emergency Mode of operation adjusts the “Hover” and “Level Flight” calculations based on a single engine operating.
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