Negative climb after take-off warning system with configuration warning means
AssigneeSundstrand Corporation
InventorCharles D. Bateman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
During a take-off or missed approach phase of operation the aircraft's maximum barometric altitude is retained in a memory element and compared to the aircraft's current altitude, and if the aircraft's current barometric altitude should be below the maximum altitude by a predetermined amount based on the aircraft's radio altitude, a voice warning is generated indicating that the aircraft is descending. Landing gear and flaps are monitored by the system and if the gear or flaps are down, an additional voice warning is generated indicating that the gear or flaps are down.
Claims29
A ground proximity warning system for use in an aircraft having a plurality of flight configurations for generating a warning of aircraft descent during a take-off phase of flight, comprising:
- a source of signals representing the flight configuration of the aircraft;
- logic means, responsive to said configuration signals, for generating a phase of flight signal indicating that the aircraft is in a take-off phase of flight;
- means for generating a signal indicating that the aircraft is descending;
- means, responsive to said phase of flight signal and said descent signal, for generating a first warning signal when the aircraft is descending during the take-off phase of flight;
- and
- means, responsive to said configuration signals and said first warning signal, for generating a second warning signal when the aircraft is in a first predetermined configuration when the aircraft is descending during the take-off phase of flight.
An aircraft ground proximity warning system, for use in an aircraft having a plurality of flight configurations, for generating a warning of aircraft descent during the take-off phase of flight, comprising:
- a source of a signal representing the barometric altitude of the aircraft;
- a source of signals representing the flight configuration of the aircraft;
- a source of a signal representing the radio altitude of the aircraft;
- means, responsive to said barometric altitude signal, said radio altitude signal and said configuration signals, for generating a signal indicating that the aircraft is in a take-off phase of flight;
- means, responsive to said barometric altitude signal, for generating a signal indicating that the aircraft is descending with respect to barometric altitude;
- means, responsive to said phase of flight signal and said descent signal for generating a descent warning signal when the aircraft is descending with respect to barometric altitude during the take-off phase of flight;
- means, responsive to said configuration signals and said descent warning signal, for generating a configuration warning signal when the aircraft is in a predetermined configuration when the aircraft is descending during the take-off phase of flight;
- and
- a voice generator responsive to said descent warning signal and said configuration warning signal for generating a voice warning indicating that the aircraft is descending in said predetermined configuration.
An aircraft ground proximity warning instrument for generating a warning signal of aircraft descent of a predetermined amount during the take-off phase of flight comprising:
- a source of a signal representing the barometric altitude of the aircraft;
- a source of signals representing the aircraft flight configuration;
- a source of a signal representing the aircraft's phase of flight indicating whether or not the aircraft is in a take-off phase of flight;
- an electronic memory circuit;
- first logic means, responsive to said barometric altitude signal, said configuration signal and said phase of flight signal and operatively connected to said electronic memory circuit, for storing a value representing the maximum barometric altitude that the aircraft has achieved during the take-off phase of flight in said electronic memory circuit;
- second logic means, responsive to said first logic means and said barometric altitude signal, for generating a warning signal when the aircraft barometric altitude is less than the barometric altitude stored in said electronic memory circuit by a predetermined amount during the take-off phase of flight;
- and
- a voice generator, responsive to said warning signal for generating a voice warning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.