Innovative Actuation Solutions for High Eye’s Airboxer
Volz Servos has collaborated with High Eye, a company based in the Netherlands, to provide a customized actuator solution for their Airboxer unmanned helicopter, ensuring dependable and secure steering capabilities.
Advanced Flight Control Systems
The Airboxer helicopter is equipped with a sophisticated flight control system that necessitates high-performance actuators to stabilize and maneuver the rotor systems. This UAV is engineered to function effectively in various challenging environments, including arctic regions, deserts, maritime areas, and urban settings. Consequently, the actuators must endure extreme vibrations, temperature fluctuations, moisture, impacts, and rapid control inputs.
“The solution we developed with Volz Servos represents the pinnacle of reliability that High Eye has achieved, setting a new standard in the industry,” stated Marijn van de Ruit, CTO of High Eye. “It incorporates the most dependable and robust actuators available.”
Robust Actuator Design
The collaboration between Volz Servos and High Eye is centered around the standard Volz DA 15-N actuator series.Five DA 15 N-ISS servos are employed to ensure precise and secure control of the swashplate located beneath the rotor of the Airboxer. This configuration allows for the adjustment of the rotor blades’ attack angle and the helicopter’s flight direction.
Part of Volz’s standard offerings, the DA 15-N actuators were initially designed to withstand impacts during net landings without compromising functionality or sustaining damage.
“The brushless motor combined with the ISS gear protection system featuring a slip clutch makes this servo the most durable in it’s class,” explained Volker Hammen, Head of Development at Volz. “In the event of shocks or notable vibrations, the drive disengages at a specific torque, thereby protecting the gearbox from damage.”
ensuring Reliability Through Redundancy
“Helicopters epitomize complexity from a design standpoint,” remarked van de Ruit, who previously served as a commercial airline pilot. “Every component must be meticulously assessed to achieve a desired level of reliability.”
To enhance reliability, High Eye has embraced redundancy in its design. This approach,while adding complexity,has proven effective.“The statistics speak for themselves: the rate of non-recoverable incidents has reached an all-time low,” van de Ruit noted.
To implement redundancy, Volz and High Eye opted to install five DA 15-N-ISS actuators on the swashplate. With three fixed contact points defining a flat surface, the helicopter remains controllable even if two actuators fail.
“We successfully addressed the challenges posed by the Airboxer’s high mechanical loads using one of our standard servos,” stated Phillipp Volz, CEO of Volz. “We tailored aspects such as cable lengths to meet specific customer requirements.”
“Failures of individual actuators are exceedingly rare with the selected models. Even in the event of a mechanical or electrical malfunction, the flight control system maintains normal operation, allowing for a safe recovery of the helicopter,” van de ruit concluded.
Versatile Applications of the Airboxer UAV
The Airboxer VTOL UAV is designed to access remote locations for data collection or to transport payloads of up to 7 kg. Compliant with NATO STANAG 4738 standards, this platform can be customized for various mission requirements and is adept at operating in challenging environments. The UAV, powered by heavy fuel (Jet A-1), integrates seamlessly into naval combat systems and command vehicles.
