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A method of using a tactile signal warning device forming part of a human-operated flight control member of a rotorcraft. The warning device makes use of an anchorable motorized trim actuator for generating a resisting force against movement of the flight control member. The warning device comprises

A method of using a tactile signal warning device forming part of a human-operated flight control member of a rotorcraft. The warning device makes use of an anchorable motorized trim actuator for generating a resisting force against movement of the flight control member. The warning device comprises a warning unit that, as a function of a power margin (MP1) calculated by a predictor unit in compliance with a current regulation rating of the power plant and on condition that state data indicates that an autopilot is activated in a higher operating mode, acts to generate an order to activate the trim actuator depending on the conditions under which the flight control member is being moved as identified by a force management unit.

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1. A method of implementing a tactile signal warning device fitted to a human-operated flight control member of a rotorcraft, the flight control member forming part of a main control linkage for varying the pitch of blades of at least one main rotor of the rotorcraft having a drive axis that is subs

1. A method of implementing a tactile signal warning device fitted to a human-operated flight control member of a rotorcraft, the flight control member forming part of a main control linkage for varying the pitch of blades of at least one main rotor of the rotorcraft having a drive axis that is substantially vertical and providing the rotorcraft essentially with its lift, the rotorcraft being provided with: a power plant providing mechanical power used at least for driving rotation of the main rotor, at least one auxiliary control linkage including an autopilot for generating flight control orders controlling the use of at least one anchorable motorized trim actuator arranged in parallel with the main control linkage; anda predictor unit that operates iteratively at a given frequency to calculate at least one power margin (MP1, MP2) relating to the power available from the power plant by taking the difference between a predicted power (PP) and a power limit (LP1, LP2) relating to power to be supplied by the power plant as predefined in application of a current regulation rating of the power plant,wherein the warning device comprises a first calculation member, referred to as a “warning unit”, a second calculation member formed by the predictor unit, a third calculation member, referred to as a “force management” unit, and at least one warning member for generating a tactile sensation perceptible by the human pilot by means of the flight control member, the at least one warning member comprising at least the trim actuator opposing a resisting force against the flight control member being moved by a human, such that: the force management unit generates command data relating to a human-originating request for lift to be supplied by the main rotor, the command data being a function of at least one item of data selected from the group comprising: position data supplied to the force management unit by a position sensor measuring a current position of the flight control member; andforce data supplied to the force management unit by a force measurement device engaged with the main control linkage, the force data being representative of forces for moving the main control linkage under the effect of a human acting on the flight control member;the predictor unit calculating the predicted power (PP) by summing a current power (PC) of the power plant and a variation in the power to be supplied by the power plant as requested by a human acting on the flight control member and as deduced by the predictor unit from command data that is a function of at least one of the position data and the force data; andthe warning unit collects at least one of the following items of data selected from the group comprising:the command data as a function of at least one of the position data supplied by the position sensor and the force data supplied by the force measurement device;at least a first said power margin (MP1) supplied by the predictor unit by taking the difference between the predicted power (PP) and a first said power limit (LP1); andstate data relating to activation of at least any higher operating mode of the autopilot causing the main control linkage to be used to guide the rotorcraft along at least one travel axis including at least the gravity axis;wherein the warning unit generates an anchoring command for anchoring the trim actuator on the main control linkage, the anchoring command being generated on condition both of said first power margin (MP1) and of said command data that is a function of position data and/or of force data relating to a request to increase the lift to be supplied by the main rotor;wherein, as a result of the warning unit generating the command for anchoring the trim actuator, the predictor unit regulates activation of the motor of the trim actuator and consequently activates an anchoring command of the trim actuator on the main control linkage so as to vary the resisting force opposed by the trim actuator against human action on the flight control member; andwherein the warning unit ceases to generate the command for anchoring the trim actuator when the force management unit generates command data representative of a human request to reduce the lift to be supplied by the main rotor, the human exerting a drive force on the flight control member that opposes a resisting force of the trim actuator. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein: the method further comprises an operation of the warning unit comparing the value of the first margin (MP1) and a first power threshold (SP1) defined in compliance with the current regulation rating; andthe warning unit ceases to generate the command for anchoring the trim actuator when the following conditions are satisfied: the force management unit generates command data relating to position data identifying that the flight control member is not being operated by a human; andthe warning unit identifies a value for the first power margin (MP1) that is greater than or equal to the first power threshold (SP1). 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predictor unit regulates the activation of the motor of the trim actuator as a function of variation in the value equally well of the position data and/or of the force data. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predictor unit regulates the activation of the motor of the trim actuator as a function of variation in the first power margin (MP1). 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein as a result of the warning unit generating the anchoring command, anchoring data relating to the current anchoring position of the trim actuator on the main control linkage is supplied by the warning unit at least to the autopilot. 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one warning member comprises a shaker installed on the flight control member, the warning unit also collects a second said power margin (MP2) supplied by the predictor unit by taking the difference between said predicted power (PP) and a second said power limit (LP2); the warning unit generates a command to activate the shaker under the combined conditions of the warning unit collecting both the second power margin (MP2) and equally well position data and/or force data relating to a request to increase the lift to be supplied to the main rotor, andgeneration by the warning unit of the command for activating the shaker is interrupted as a result of the warning unit identifying a value for the second power margin (MP2) that is greater than a second predefined power threshold (SP2) in compliance with the current regulation rating. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the command for anchoring the trim actuator is conditional on taking account of the intrinsic resistance of the main control linkage against being moved, by the warning unit comparing the first power margin (MP1) and a third predefined power threshold (SP3). 8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the command for activating the shaker issued by the warning unit is also conditional on taking account of the intrinsic resistance of the main control linkage against being moved, by the warning unit comparing the second power margin (MP2) and a fourth predefined power threshold (SP4). 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the command data causing anchoring of the trim actuator to be interrupted is deduced from combined conditions comprising firstly force data less than or equal to a predefined force threshold (SE) and secondly position data identifying that the flight control member is being moved by a human. 10. A method according to claim 6, wherein the shaking generated by the shaker varies equally well in frequency and/or in amplitude depending on variation in the value of the second power margin (MP2). 11. A method according claim 6, wherein the operation of the power plant is regulated in application of predefined regulation ratings including AEO ratings comprising an MTP rating, a TOP rating, an MCP rating, and also OEI ratings including a very short duration OEI rating, a short duration OEI rating, and a continuous OEI rating; and the warning device makes use respectively of the trim actuator and of the shaker in selective manner depending on the current regulation rating of the power plant, anchoring of the trim actuator and activation of the shaker being implemented as follows:the trim actuator is implemented for a current regulation rating of the power plant coming within the regulation ratings comprising the TOP rating, the MCP rating, the short duration OEI rating, and the continuous OEI rating; andthe shaker is implemented for a current regulation rating of the power plant coming within the regulation ratings comprising the MPT rating and the very short duration OEI rating. 12. A method according to claim 6, wherein the respective values of at least one of the first power limit (LP1) and of the second power limit (LP2) vary depending on the forward speed of the rotorcraft, the values of the first power limit (LP1) and of the second power limit (LP2) decreasing from the rotorcraft advancing at low speeds to the rotorcraft advancing at high speeds in cruising flight. 13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the respective values of at least one of the first power limit (LP1) and of the second power limit (LP2) vary depending on the forward speed of the rotorcraft, the values of the first power limit (LP1) and of the second power limit (LP2) decreasing from the rotorcraft advancing at low speeds to the rotorcraft advancing at high speeds in cruising flight and wherein the value of the first power limit (LP1) varies as follows: at low forward speeds of the rotorcraft, in the TOP regulation rating and the short duration OEI regulation rating, the value of first power limit (LP1) is constant;at transitional forward speeds of the rotorcraft between low and high forward speeds of the rotorcraft, the value of the first power limit (LP1) decreases on the AEO regulation rating of the power plant (1) passing from the TOP rating to the MCP rating and as a result of the OEI regulation rating of the power plant (1) passing from the short duration OEI rating to the continuous OEI rating; andat high forward speeds of the rotorcraft, in the MCP regulation rating and in the long duration OEI regulation rating, the value of the first power limit (LP1) is constant. 14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the respective values of at least one of the first power limit (LP1) and of the second power limit (LP2) vary depending on the forward speed of the rotorcraft, the values of the first power limit (LP1) and of the second power limit (LP2) decreasing from the rotorcraft advancing at low speeds to the rotorcraft advancing at high speeds in cruising flight and wherein the value of the second power limit (LP2) varies as follows: at low forward speeds of the rotorcraft, in the TOP regulation rating and in the very short duration OEI regulation rating, the value of the second power limit (LP2) is constant;at transitional forward speeds of the rotorcraft between low and high forward speeds of the rotorcraft, the value of the second power limit (LP2) decreases in the TOP regulation rating and is constant in the very short duration OEI regulation rating; andat high forward speeds of the rotorcraft, the value of the second power limit (LP2) is constant in the TOP regulation rating and in the very short duration OEI regulation rating. 15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one power margin (MP1, MP2) is calculated more particularly by the predictor unit as follows: calculating the predicted power (PP) by summing the current power (PC) supplied by the power plant in application of the current regulation rating and a request for power to be supplied by the power plant calculated by the predictor unit on the basis of the command data; andcalculating the at least one power margin (MP1, MP2) by subtracting the predicted power (PP) from the power limit (LP1, LP2). 16. A method according to claim 1, wherein activation of the motor of the trim actuator is regulated by the predictor unit acting iteratively at a given frequency to calculate an anchoring position command for the trim actuator as follows: calculating a position margin (MPo) relating to variation in the position of the flight control member that is acceptable relative to the first power margin (MP1), the position margin (MPo) being calculated by dividing the first power margin (MP1) by a predefined constant (K1) identifying a power variation for a given variation in the position of the flight control member; thendeducing the anchor position command for the trim actuator by summing the previously calculated position margin (MPo) and the current position of the flight control member as identified by the position data supplied by the position sensor; andgenerating an order to activate the motor of the trim actuator in compliance with the previously deduced command for positioning the anchoring of the trim actuator. 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the order for activating the motor of the trim actuator as generated by the predictor unit identifies an anchoring position for the trim actuator and a speed at which the trim actuator is to be driven by its motor as calculated depending on the variation in the anchoring position of the trim actuator and depending on the current regulation rating of the power plant. 18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the trim actuator used by the method is an anchorable motorized trim actuator of active type. 19. A method according to claim 18, wherein following interruption of the anchoring command being generated by the warning unit, the trim actuator is placed in a friction configuration mode in which the trim actuator is held anchored to the main control linkage by generating a resisting force (Efr), referred to as a “friction” force, of constant value that is greater than or equal to the absolute value of the force threshold (SE). 20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the flight control member having said at least one warning member used in accordance with the method is a flight control member for generating a variation in the pitch of the blades of the main rotor.