US 5,260,874 AGranted

Aircraft flight emulation test system

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsAnn E. Berner, John R. Bucher, Lawrence E. Holliday, Hugh C. Murray

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Abstract

An aircraft test system generates stimuli that emulate the stimuli received by an aircraft when in flight is disclosed. The aircraft test system includes a number of instruments for generating the number of processor-controllable instruments for generating stimuli received by an aircraft when in flight. The system also includes a number of instruments that monitor the response of the various aircraft components to the stimuli to which the aircraft is exposed. A processor in response to the output signal from the aircraft components directs the stimuli generating instruments to produce stimuli that emulate those received by the aircraft as it moves through the air. The system thus generates an initial set of stimuli similar to what an aircraft would be exposed to when in flight; monitors the response of the aircraft to the stimuli to which it is exposed; and, in response generates an updated set of stimuli to the aircraft. The system also records the response of the output responses of aircraft components so that they could be monitored by personnel charged with insuring that the aircraft is functioning properly. The system can also be used to train flight crews since it can be used to place the aircraft "in the loop" during a flight emulation.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An aircraft test system for evaluating the performance of an aircraft on the ground, the aircraft having a number of different aircraft components to which stimuli is applied and that, in reaction to the stimuli, generate measurable responses, including:

a plurality of processor-controlled test instruments for generating different stimuli to which the aircraft components are exposed in flight including at least one instrument for generating at least one radio navigation signal received by an aircraft component, at least one instrument for generating an airflow monitored by an aircraft component, and at least one instrument for generating an electrical signal normally generated by a first aircraft component that is received by a second aircraft component;
a plurality of test instruments for measuring the response of the aircraft components to the stimuli to which they are exposed and for producing output signals representative of said measurements;
and,
processor means connected to said stimuli generating test instruments for controlling said test instruments and to said aircraft measuring test instruments for receiving said output signals representative of the measured responses of the aircraft components wherein, said processor means maintains an aircraft state vector containing a plurality of aircraft state variables, each said aircraft state variable describing a particular in-flight attribute of the aircraft, said processor means periodically produces updated said aircraft state variables based on the aircraft state vector at the start of the update process and the measured responses of the aircraft components, and said processor means adjusts the stimuli applied to the aircraft components based on said updated aircraft state variables so that the stimuli applied to the aircraft components emulates the stimuli applied to aircraft components when the aircraft is in flight.

1 more element

An aircraft test system for emulating the in-flight performance of an aircraft on the ground, the aircraft including a plurality of aircraft components to which stimuli is applied and that in reaction to the stimuli, generate measurable responses, said system including:

a plurality of processor-controlled test instruments generating the stimuli to which the aircraft components are exposed to in flight, including a test instrument for generating a radio signal received by an aircraft navigation receiver, a test instrument for generating an airflow monitored by an aircraft component, and an instrument for generating an electrical signal produced by a first aircraft component that is received by a second aircraft component;
a plurality of monitoring instruments for measuring the response of aircraft components to the stimuli to which they are exposed and for producing output signals representative of said measurements, wherein at least one of said measuring test instruments is connected to an aircraft component different than the aircraft components to which stimuli is applied;
and
a processor unit connected to said stimuli generating test instruments for controlling said test instruments and said aircraft measuring test instruments for receiving said output signals therefrom, wherein said processing unit maintains a plurality of aircraft state variables, each said aircraft state variable describing a particular in-flight attribute of the aircraft, a plurality of aircraft input variables, each said aircraft input variable describing aircraft information measured by said measuring instruments, and a plurality of instrument input parameters, each said instrument parameter describing an attribute of a specific stimuli generated by one of said stimuli-generating instruments, and said processor means continually changes the stimuli applied to the aircraft components in a series of flight emulation frames, wherein in each flight emulation frame said aircraft state variables are updated based on said aircraft state variables at the beginning of said frame and said aircraft input variables and said instrument input parameters are updated based on said updated aircraft state variables and wherein during selected flight emulation frames, said processing unit said updates said aircraft input variables based on the measurements made by said monitoring instruments and adjusts said stimuli-generating instruments based on said updated instrument input parameters.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.