Education and demonstration – Vehicle operator instruction or testing – Flight vehicle
Patent
1987-02-20
1988-12-13
Barefoot, Galen
Education and demonstration
Vehicle operator instruction or testing
Flight vehicle
434 55, 434 56, 244115, 244 63, 244 1R, 272 28S, 272 31A, 272 40, B64F 300
Patent
active
047907550
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to training equipment and in particular to aircraft pilot-training equipments.
The apparatus according to the invention is more particularly intended, among other uses, for training aircraft pilots.
The apparatus according to the invention is used, especially, for teaching trainee-pilots, from a captive aircraft, the techniques of take-off and landing. These manoeuvers are the most difficult ones to learn, in particular landing, which requires from the pilot an accurate judgement of distances and a good coordination of the controls, in order to reduce the risks of accidents to a minimum.
PRIOR ART
The first method known for that training has involved the use of training planes. This method however, is an extremely expensive one as it necessitates the use of a conventional aircraft, flying in the normal way, and offering on every flight only one take-off and one landing possibility.
Yet, as we know, the most difficult part of the training is to learn how to land.
Considering the risks attached, it is not really possible with that method to place the trainee in difficult flying conditions, such as for example, piloting an aircraft with an off-centered load or landing under heavy cross-winds.
Various other methods have been proposed to overcome this problem.
One of these is the electronical or mechanical flight simulator, but the equipment is very expensive and, anyway, it only simulates the flight of an aircraft, and the trainee-pilot knows that he is not really flying and therefore cannot have the true sensation of flying.
Another method has been to integrate the aircraft to a movable carrying structure. This is described for example in French Pat. No. 747 424 which proposes to adapt an aircraft on the end of a boom, mounted for pivoting via a vertical axis on a pivotable head supported by a vertical supporting structure. Beyond the vertical axis, the boom forms a small arm which is connected with means for controlling its pivoting movement. In general, for reasons of static and dynamic constructional balance, the head comprises two diametrically-opposite booms.
The advantage of such a structure is that the phases of take-off and landing can be increased at discretion. Yet there are also certain disadvantages which are that the structure, beside being complex, offers no possibility for the aircraft to move on its own three axes, namely on its pitch, roll and yaw axes. It is also impossible with that structure to modify the relative mass of the aircraft in such a way as to simulate real conditions of stable flying at low speeds, in order to help the training phases.
Moreover, the conditions of flying in altitude are entirely dependent on how the mechanism controlling the pivoting movement of the boom works, this mechanism requiring, in order to be actuated from inside the aircraft, a remote-control structure which is particularly complex, delicate and expensive.
Another similar type method is described in British Pat. No. 509 161 which presents exactly the same disadvantages as those found with French Pat. No. 747 424.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to overcome said disadvantages by enabling the trainee-pilot to fly in the air as in the reality, while piloting an aircraft which is captive yet free on its three axes, both on the ground and in the air.
The invention proposes to this effect an apparatus with the added possibility of modifying at will the relative mass of the aircraft, in order to create different conditions of rolling, take-off, flying and landing, all with the same aircraft, and with the same engine power characteristics.
A further object of the invention is to propose an apparatus which is really secure for flying at limited altitude.
These objects are reached according to the invention with an apparatus which comprises:
on the one hand, and attached to the small arm of the boom, a balance weight provided at its base with rolling and stop means for contact with the ground and for limiting the pivoting amp
REFERENCES:
patent: 1383595 (1921-07-01), Black
patent: 1737483 (1929-11-01), Verret
patent: 1748663 (1930-02-01), Tucker
patent: 1842432 (1932-01-01), Stanton
patent: 1912174 (1933-05-01), Biscl
patent: 2031310 (1936-02-01), Hall
patent: 2094397 (1937-09-01), Cortes
patent: 2142169 (1939-01-01), Biscl
patent: 2286381 (1942-06-01), Rubissow
patent: 2362190 (1944-11-01), Cortes
patent: 4253579 (1981-03-01), Williams
Leduc Michele
Leduc Rene
LandOfFree
Aircraft pilot-training apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Aircraft pilot-training apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Aircraft pilot-training apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2194291