Enhancing firefighter helicopter control with input shaping for water bucket transport

This study proposes an input shaping scheme for a firefighter helicopter carrying a water bucket suspended by a cable. A three-degree-freedom model is used to study the dynamics of the system and to reduce the sway motion of the water bucket. Different cases were considered to investigate the water bucket swing action, and the kinematic stability of the helicopter during the takeoff. Input shaping method was adapted and implemented to provide fast takeoff maneuvers and attain the system’s desired final conditions. The system’s constraints and limitations were also considered during maneuvers. Different parameters of the system were examined including masses, cable lengths, and proposed input functions. Numerical simulations were conducted, and the results showed the proposed technique’s effectiveness in reducing the system’s swing effect. The numerical results were compared with the unoptimized behavior of the firefighter helicopters, and the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified.