In this paper, a study of control for an uncertain 2-degree of freedom ( DOF ) helicopter system is given. The 2-DOF helicopter is subject to input deadzone and output constraints. In order to cope with system uncertainties and input deadzone, the neural network technique is introduced because of its capability in approximation. In order to update the weights of the neural network, an adaptive control method is utilized to improve the system adaptability. Furthermore, the integral barrier Lyapunov function ( IBLF ) is adopt in control design to guarantee the condition of output constraints and boundedness of the corresponding tracking errors. The Lyapunov direct method is applied in the control design to analyze system stability and convergence. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control based on the model of Quanser ʼ s 2-DOF helicopter.