Aircraft navigation-aid control systems

摘要

918,567. Radio navigation. SPERRY RAND CORPORATION. May 26, 1961 [June 16, 1960], No. 19100/61. Class 40 (7). [Also in Group XXXV] In a system for automatically or manually controlling an aircraft to make an asyptotic approach to a radio defined course line, a signal D from a navigation receiver 10 representing the lateral deviation of the craft from the course line is combined at 12 with a rate signal D which is the first derivative of D, the resultant signal D+D is combined at 14 with a heading error signal # from a source 15 to give a second resultant signal D+D+# which is applied through a limiter 20 to a summation device 21 where it is combined with a further output from the heading error source 15 of opposite sense to the heading error component applied via the limiter 20 so that when the craft is near the course line, i.e. the " on-course " mode, the amplitude of the input D+D+# to the limiter 20 will be less than its limiting threshold and hence the two components of the heading error will cancel out in the summation device 21 to give an output signal D+D but when the craft is some distance from the course line, i.e. the " intercept mode," the input D+D+# to the limiter 20 will exceed its limiting threshold and hence the output from the summation device 21 will contain a heading error component. The output from the " summation device 21 is applied through a bank command limiter 22 and combined in opposition with a bank angle, i.e. roll, signal from a gyro 25 in a summation device 23 to give a final control signal which is applied to a flight director 31 or automatic pilot 32. Specifications 626,287, 638,971 and 690,985 are referred to.