Estimated reading time 5 minutes, 34 seconds.
Helicopter hoists don’t typically come to mind when the conversation is innovation in aerospace and defense. Not like the F-35’s bug-eyed super helmet that enables the pilot to “see through” the bottom of the cockpit floor — and a lot more.
Yet, to quote the legendary Igor Sikorsky: “If you’re in trouble anywhere in the world, an airplane can fly over and drop you flowers; a helicopter can land and save your life.” When I shared this quote several years ago, one of my principal engineers grinned and added: “With a hoist, you don’t even have to land.”
He was right then. And he’s right now.
Modern hoists enable pilots and rescue crews to engage in search-and-rescue missions that save lives in some of the harshest environments on Earth. They’re used by U.S. and foreign militaries, coast guards, police forces, firefighters, medical evacuation crews and private operators in every country. The latest hoists offer a variety of solutions for operations in high-demand, unpredictable and extreme environments.
For example, the most advanced rescue hoists leverage leading-edge technology and meet regulatory requirements for human external cargo. They feature 600-pound max lift loads and enable operators to continuously rescue multiple victims without a cool-down period.
But that’s today. What’s really exciting is what’s happening tomorrow. Very soon you won’t be able to host an aerospace and defense innovation party without inviting leading-edge helicopter hoists. Why? The answer is data. Like every modern system, hoists and hoist operators can benefit from data. And they’re going to get it. But it must be the right data, delivered at the right time, to the right person so that it doesn’t overwhelm the operator and detract from the mission.
To get this data, helicopter hoists will soon push the technology envelope with innovative health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) that deliver real-time, actionable data on maintenance, hoist cycles, loading, oil level, and interior temperature. State-of-the-art hoists will be intelligent, connected and make it easier to save lives and complete missions.
To this end, Collins Aerospace is developing Pegasus. This patented, next-generation rescue hoist will — for the first time — deliver real-time, actionable data to operators through the proprietary Data Acquisition Sensing and Health (DASH) system. Pegasus will also feature our unique translating drum cable management system for faster and more precise rescue missions.
Think of DASH as the neural network of the hoist. The “brain.” This innovation adds a dimension to hoist technology that hasn’t been seen before. DASH will introduce the ability to gather information and details on the hoist’s operation, which can be used for situational awareness and maintenance purposes. The newly designed, ergonomic pendant will use DASH data to confirm hook load and cable payout length, and will indicate if an anomaly such as a cable miswrap, overload, or overtemperature condition occurs. DASH also integrates information from all sensors on Pegasus, and enables this data to be stored, analyzed, and used to create a system that ensures the correct maintenance is completed at the right time and is driven by the right data.
The translating drum technology used in existing Goodrich hoists is the cornerstone of Pegasus. Optimizing this technology in the new design enables higher performance and durability and more efficient maintenance. The translating drum enables a single-point payout for the cable, which, in turn, delivers increased performance in terms of speed, smoother acceleration/deceleration, and the ability to perform at higher fleet angles. Single-point payout also enables more accurate and faster hook location, and ensures safer hoisting by minimizing unwanted movement.
In short, rescue missions can be completed faster, safer and more efficiently.
It’s a fact that most headlines of an engineering achievement won’t rise to the heights of the front page of the New York Times on Monday, July 21, 1969, when the entire length of the front page read, “MEN WALK ON MOON.”
Yet look again at the photo at the top of this commentary. I don’t think the elderly man in the arms of his rescuer — and delivered to safety by a leading-edge hoist system — cared about headlines.
Samir Mehta is president, Mechanical Systems for Collins Aerospace.
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