Moog Inc has announced it has received a Supplemental Type Certification (STC) from the FAA for its fully coupled GRC 4000 four-axis rotorcraft autopilot for the UH-60 A and A+ Black Hawks. Integrated into the Black Hawk Genesys Avionics Suite™, the GRC 4000 has been added to the existing Moog Avionics STC that is approved for IFR operations.
The autopilot says Moog will “dramatically reduces pilot workload in IMC and low altitude operations”. The approval marks a milestone in its broader series of Black Hawk enhancement expected to continue with options to expand to include solutions for S70i variants as well as L models expected shortly.
True Automation For Mission Focus
A single-button engagement transitions the UH-60 into automatic flight, fully coupling with the flight management system for automated hover-to-hover flight operations. By handling complex control tasks automatically, the GRC 4000 frees pilots to concentrate on mission management during troop and logistics delivery, search and rescue, firefighting, policing, or other special mission operations.
Commenting on the approval Matt McCall, Director of Business Development at Moog Avionics, said: “The GRC 4000 is the first retrofit 4-axis autopilot to be FAA certified on a Black Hawk. Moog is proud to bring a new level of automation and safety to this amazing aircraft, allowing pilots to focus on what truly matters — the mission.”
Image: Sikorsky
