Aircraft landing gear compression rate monitor
OwnerC. Kirk Nanceinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for use in monitoring, measuring, computing and displaying the rate of compression of aircraft landing gear struts experienced while aircraft are executing either normal or hard landing events. A high speed computer attached to high speed cameras, or range-finders, mounted in relation to each of the landing gear struts are used to monitor, measure and record the landing gear compression rates and aircraft touch-down vertical velocities experienced by landing gear struts, as the aircraft landing gear initially comes into contact with the ground. The system also determines through landing gear strut compression rates if aircraft landing limitations have been exceeded.
Claims27
A method of monitoring landing gear on an aircraft at initial contact of the landing gear with the ground, each landing gear comprising a strut, which is capable of extension, comprising the steps of:
- a) measuring the extension of one of the struts before contact of the respective landing gear with the ground;
- b) measuring the extension of the one strut during initial contact of the respective landing gear with the ground;
- c) measuring the amount of changed extension of the one strut in relation to elapsed time;
- d) the steps of measuring the extension of one of the struts before contact of the respective landing gear with the ground and measuring the extension of the one strut during initial contact of the respective landing gear with the ground and measuring the amount of changed extension of the one strut in relation to elapsed time comprises measuring the strut extension from a location that is off of the one landing gear;
- e) determining the rate of compression of the one strut from the measured amount of changed extension of the one strut in relation to elapsed time;
- f) providing an indication of the rate of compression of the one strut.
A method of monitoring landing gear on an aircraft hull at initial contact of the landing gear with the ground, each landing gear comprising a strut, which is capable of extension, comprising the steps of
- a) measuring the extension of one of the struts before contact of the respective landing gear with the ground;
- b) measuring the extension of the one strut during initial contact of the respective landing gear with the ground;
- c) measuring the amount of changed extension of the one strut in relation to elapsed time by measuring the distance of a selected portion of the one strut from the hull;
- d) determining the rate of compression of the one strut from the measured amount of changed extension of the one strut in relation to elapsed time;
- e) providing an indication of the rate of compression of the one strut.
A method of confirming that the aircraft has actually come into contact with the ground, the aircraft comprising landing gear struts, which struts are capable of compression and extension, comprising the steps of:
- a) determining when the landing gear struts are deployed to an extended position, the deployed struts having an extended configuration;
- b) from a location that is off of the landing gear, determining when the landing gear is compressed.
An apparatus for monitoring landing gear of an aircraft during initial landing gear contact with the ground, each landing gear comprising a strut, comprising:
- a) a camera coupled to the aircraft and having a field of view that encompasses one of the struts so as to monitor the extension of the one strut;
- b) a computer having an input that is connected to said camera, said computer records the extension of the one landing gear strut in relation to elapsed time, said computer determines the rate of compression of the one landing gear strut and determines the descent velocity of the aircraft and provides a descent velocity output;
- c) an indicator connected to the computer descent velocity output.
An apparatus for monitoring landing gear of an aircraft during initial landing gear contact with the ground, each landing gear comprising a strut, comprising:
- a) a range-finder coupled to the aircraft and located so as to monitor the extension of one of the struts;
- b) a computer having an input that is connected to said range-finder, said computer records the extension of the one landing gear strut in relation to elapsed time, said computer determines the rate of compression of the one landing gear strut and determines the decent velocity of the aircraft and provides a decent velocity output;
- c) an indicator connected to the computer descent velocity output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.