System and method for configuring a direct lift control system of a vehicle
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorHenry Llewellyn Beaufrere
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and methods for configuring a direct lift control system of a vehicle are presented. A plurality of fly-by-wire control surfaces is provided, and fly-by-wire control surface deflection commands of the fly-by-wire control surfaces are scheduled. The fly-by-wire control surfaces are symmetrically actuated based on the fly-by-wire control surface deflection commands such that a fluid dynamic lift of the vehicle is modulated without using a short-period pitch control.
Claims20
A direct lift control system of a vehicle comprising:
- a plurality of fly-by-wire control surfaces;
- a control surface direct lift control schedule operable to generate a plurality of fly-by-wire control deflection commands based on preprogrammed degrees of deflection of the fly-by-wire control surfaces;
- and
- an actuator configured to symmetrically actuate the fly-by-wire control surfaces based on the fly-by-wire control surface deflection commands such that a fluid dynamic lift of the vehicle is modulated without using a short-period pitch control such that a flight path of the vehicle is controlled by the direct lift control system,
- wherein the fly-by-wire control surfaces comprise fly-by-wire spoilers, and the fly-by-wire control surface deflection commands comprise fly-by-wire spoiler deflection commands.
A method for configuring a direct lift control system of a vehicle comprising:
- providing a plurality of fly-by-wire control surfaces;
- scheduling a plurality of fly-by-wire control surface deflection commands of the fly-by-wire control surfaces based on preprogrammed degrees of deflection of the fly-by-wire control surfaces;
- symmetrically actuating the fly-by-wire control surfaces based on the fly-by-wire control surface deflection commands such that a fluid dynamic lift of the vehicle is modulated without using a short-period pitch control;
- and
- controlling a flight path of the vehicle by the direct lift control system,
- wherein the fly-by-wire control surfaces comprise a plurality of fly-by-wire spoilers, and the fly-by-wire control surface deflection commands comprise a plurality of fly-by-wire spoiler deflection commands.
A method of operating an aircraft comprising a direct lift control system, the method comprising:
- activating the direct lift control system comprising a plurality of fly-by-wire spoilers if an elevator is jammed;
- performing an approach and a landing by symmetrically actuating the fly-by-wire spoilers based on a plurality of fly-by-wire spoiler deflection commands such that an aerodynamic dynamic lift of the aircraft is modulated without using a short-period pitch control, the fly-by-wire spoiler deflection commands generated based on preprogrammed degrees of deflection of the fly-by-wire control surfaces;
- and
- controlling a flight path of the aircraft by the direct lift control system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.