STABILITY AUGMENTATION SYSTEM FOR LIGHT AIRCRAFT PROVIDING PILOT ASSIST AND TURN

摘要

A small aircraft with a conventional stability augmentation system for automatically maintaining a wings level constant heading attitude is provided with a switch on the control wheel which is spring biased to a central neutral position and which is actuated by the pilot to the right or left of neutral and held in the actuated position to make a right or left turn. When actuated, the switch introduces an offset signal into the stability augmentation system causing the system to produce and stabilize on a turn rate determined by the magnitude of the offset signal. The actuated switch also sets up an additional signal of opposite sense to the offset signal which is substituted for the offset signal whenever the turn rate exceeds a preset maximum, as may occur if the pilot for any reason increases the turn rate above the stabilized rate by applying sufficient force to the wheel to overpower the stability augmentation system. The opposing signal causes the stability augmentation system to warn the pilot of the excessive rate by exerting a powerful backward force on the ailerons, and on the control wheel in opposition to the pilot's force, tending to reduce the bank angle and thereby the turn rate below the preset maximum. When the switch is released to its neutral position the stability augmentation system returns the aircraft to a wings level attitude.