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A composite control law for stabilizing a small-scale helicopter during hover flight mode is proposed in this paper. The proposed method is developed by combining the sliding mode control (SMC) and a nonlinear control law. Parameters of the proposed controller are optimized using particle swarm optimization technique. The SMC ensures robustness under disturbances and parameter uncertainties, while the nonlinear control law improves the transient response of the closed-loop system. Adequacy of the combination of the sliding mode controller and the nonlinear control law is validated using mathematical analysis and simulation experiments. The results illustrate an efficient execution of the proposed controller to stabilize the system by reducing the deviations from the trim state and alleviating the effect of disturbance in the closed-loop response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]