US 4,233,756 A · Aircraft flight simulating instrument trainer

Abstract

A flight simulator instrument trainer has operational controls and instruments similar to a conventional aircraft. An AC driven position simulator moves a simulated station position according to simulated power, attitude, flap condition direction and distance traveled to control simulated ADF, ILS and VOR instruments. Angularly offset phases are generated and are provided to potentiometers on directional instruments. Wipers on the potentiometers move with simulated direction indicators. Signals from the wipers are fed to other devices, and phases are compared with one of two ninety degree offset reference phases. The latter are shifted according to simulated flight characteristics, and the thus-varied output of the phase comparators are used to drive instruments and to shift angle position accumulators and distance position accumulators. Logic arrays control initiating signals which prevent attitude and altitude instrument changes until flight conditions are reached and indicate stalls and prevent stall indications during touchdown. An astable vibrator applies minor amplitude perturbations to motor drives for simulated altimeters and directional and attitude instruments. A stable vibrator provides selectively and cyclically variable counts which are converted to analog turbulence signals. The vibrator and a counter also provide signals to an up-down counter for a flap position indicator. Throttle setting controls an engine power signal and a count down counter to produce fuel consumption indications and engine sound. The counter is reset by a simulated fuel tank change switch.

Claims19

Dependent claims

The AC driven position simulator apparatus comprising indicator means for indicating simulated quantities, drive means connected to the indicator means for changing the indicator means to simulate movement, measuring means connected to the indicator means for measuring conditions of the indicator means, oscillator means connected to the measuring means for supplying the measuring means with alternating voltages, cyclic means connected to the oscillator means for producing cyclic voltages related to the alternating voltages, sampling means connected to the cyclic means and to the measuring means for sampling the alternating voltage during predetermined periods of oscillation, the sampling means communicating with the drive means for moving the drive means according to sampled voltages and shifting means connected to the sampling means and to the cyclic means for shifting the cyclic means and changing relationship of cycles to oscillator voltage alternations according to samples of alternating voltages, wherein the indicator means comprises simulated aircraft instruments and wherein the drive means comprises means for driving the simulated aircraft instruments and wherein the measuring means comprises potentiometers connected to the simulated instruments, wherein the oscillator means comprises an oscillator and a phase locked loop connected to the oscillator, wherein the cyclic means comprises counters connected to the oscillator for producing square waves from the alternating voltages from the oscillator means, wherein the shifting means comprises a shift means connected to the counter means for shifting the counter means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Aircraft flight simulating instrument trainer

Life of this patent

Aircraft flight simulating instrument trainer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19