Story ID: 
Skyryse Bringing Single-control R66 to AirVenture
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Flying the fly-by-wire helicopter is much simpler than with traditional controls
Word Count: 228
Flight control developer Skyryse will be making its debut at EAA AirVenture later this month in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and displaying Skyryse One, a turbine-powered Robinson R66 helicopter equipped with a single control stick and two touchscreens.
The helicopter’s traditional cyclic, collective, and pedal controls have been removed, along with all the mechanical push-pull rods and other components, and replaced with Skyryse's fly-by-wire flight controls. The single control stick and touchscreens are the primary pilot interface, allowing precise control of the R66 within its full operating envelope. This includes automatic entry into an autorotation, “automating the glide, flare, and set-down, with the pilot in control,” according to Skyryse.
At the Skyryse booth, Skyryse One will be on display, and visitors can book a slot to try out the SkyOS simplified control system in a conforming simulator.
Skyryse was founded in 2016, and it aims “to bring about a new era in flight, where zero fatalities are our goal, and where piloting any aircraft is simple and safe.” The flight control system and SkyOS are designed to work in any aircraft, fixed- or rotary-wing, piston or turbine.
The company has raised more than $290 million, and its first product—the Skyryse One R66—is expected to be certified in 2025 and will retail for $1.8 million, about $400,000 more than a typically equipped R66.