Rotorcraft
Sikorsky tests counter-vibration system
Vibration suppressor could be part of a larger system integrated into all Sikorsky helicopters

Sikorsky and Lord have completed the flight demonstration of a hub-mounted vibration suppressor (HMVS) intended to address crew fatigue and reduced equipment reliability caused by helicopter vibration. Eventually, the HMVS could be part of a larger system integrated into all Sikorsky helicopters.

The flying testbed was a UH-60A Black Hawk, which accelerated from a hover to 150 knots, performed autorotations and made 60-degree-bank turns. The two companies collaborated on the evaluation at the U.S. Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) at Fort Eustis, Va., as part of the AATD’s active rotor component demonstration program. The effort involved 30 flight hours logged between August 2012 and March this year.

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