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US 7,908,044 B2Granted
Compound aircraft control system and method
AssigneePiasecki Aircraft Corporation
InventorsFrank N. Piasecki, Andrew S. Greenjack, Joseph F. Horn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of operational objectives each of which is designed to achieve any particular command.
Claims12
A compound aircraft, said compound aircraft comprising:
- a. a fuselage;
- b. a main rotor rotatably connected to said fuselage, said main rotor being configured to apply a main rotor forward thrust to said fuselage, said main rotor forward thrust being variable;
- c. a forward thruster, said forward thruster being configured to apply non-rotor forward thrust to said fuselage, said non-rotor forward thrust being variable, said non-rotor forward thrust and said main rotor forward thrust in combination defining a total forward thrust;
- d. an selector configured to select an operational objective from among a plurality of operational objectives;
- e. an inceptor, said inceptor being configured to receive a command for a trimmed flight;
- f. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said main rotor and to said forward thruster, said microprocessor being configured to receive said selected operational objective from said selector, said microprocessor being configured to receive said command for said trimmed flight from said inceptor;
- g. a computer memory operably connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a database accessible to said microprocessor, said database including a plurality of combinations of trim settings, each of said plurality of combinations of trim settings being configured to achieve said command for said trimmed flight when applied by said microprocessor, a one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being configured to select said one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being programmed to allocate said total forward thrust between said main rotor forward thrust and said non-rotor forward thrust for said trimmed flight, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total forward thrust for said trimmed flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings.
4 more elements
A compound aircraft, said compound aircraft comprising:
- a. a fuselage;
- b. a main rotor rotatably connected to said fuselage, said main rotor being configured to exert a main rotor forward thrust to said fuselage;
- c. a forward thruster connected to said fuselage, said forward thruster being configured to exert a non-rotor forward thrust to said fuselage, said main rotor and said forward thruster in combination being configured to exert a total forward thrust to said fuselage;
- d. an selector, said selector being configured to select an operational objective from among a plurality of operational objectives;
- e. an inceptor, said inceptor being configured to receive a command for a maneuvering flight;
- f. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said main rotor and to said forward thruster, said microprocessor being operably connected to said selector and to said inceptor, said microprocessor being configured to receive said selected operational objective from said selector, said microprocessor being configured to receive said command for said maneuvering flight from said inceptor;
- g. a computer memory operably connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a database accessible to said microprocessor, said database including a plurality of combinations of weighting factors, each of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors being configured to achieve said command for said maneuvering flight when applied by said microprocessor, a one of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being configured to select said one of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being programmed to allocate said total forward thrust between said rotor forward thrust and said non-rotor forward thrust for said maneuvering flight, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total forward thrust for said maneuvering flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.