Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft control – Automatic
Patent
1989-01-09
1990-10-23
Jordan, Charles T.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft control
Automatic
244228, 244194, 244196, 244177, 364434, B64C 1322
Patent
active
049645994
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a system for controlling the roll and yaw of an aircraft, employing electrical flight controls.
It is known that the control of roll of an aircraft results from the actuation of the ailerons and possibly of the spoiler flaps, with the aid of a control stick, whilst the control of yaw is obtained by deflection of the rudder with the aid of a rudder pedal.
It is also known that:
(a) a deflection of the roll control surfaces (ailerons and spoiler flaps) not only laterally inclines the aircraft (roll control), but also provokes a sideslip of this aircraft which degrades the performances thereof. In order to avoid such sideslip, it is necessary to act simultaneously in adequate manner on the deflection of the rudder;
(b) a deflection of the rudder not only controls yaw of the aircraft, but, in addition, provokes, on the one hand, a sideslip of said aircraft and, on the other hand, an increase in the roll attitude (roll) thereof. Such an increase in the roll attitude may rapidly turn the aircraft on its back, with the result that, in order to conserve the roll attitude at a reasonable value and to counter the sideslip induced by the deflection of the rudder, it is necessary to deflect the roll control surfaces in appropriate manner;
(c) when an aircraft is inclined laterally, whilst neither its roll control surfaces nor its rudder are deflected, it is not neutral in roll, i.e. it does not conserve a constant roll attitude, but, on the contrary, its roll attitude drifts either towards the inside of the turn (aircraft divergent in roll), or towards the outside of the turn (aircraft convergent in roll);
(d) when lateral disturbances or a dissymetry of propulsion (failure of an engine) occur, the aircraft takes considerable roll attitudes, which must be corrected by actuation of the roll control surfaces and of the rudder.
The foregoing shows, on the one hand, that the roll and yaw controls are closely interdependent and, on the other hand, that, with mechanical flight controls, the pilot must frequently intervene on the roll and yaw controls.
Furthermore, electrical flight controls are known, enabling at best one or more flight computers to be used and presenting, with respect to the mechanical flight controls, considerable gains in mass.
The present invention has for its object a system for controlling the roll and yaw of an aircraft, especially designed for electrical flight controls and intended to considerably lighten the workload of the pilot in this domain.
To that end, according to the invention, the system for controlling roll and yaw of an aircraft comprising roll control surfaces actuated from a first voluntary actuation member (control stick) and a rudder actuated from a second voluntary actuation member (rudder pedal) via a mechanical transmission, said first and second voluntary actuation members being associated with transducers delivering respectively electrical signals depending on the position of said members, said aircraft comprising in addition means capable of delivering electrical signals respectively representative of the rolling speed, the attitude, the yaw speed and the sideslip of said aircraft, is noteworthy in that it comprises: --a device capable of elaborating--from said electrical signals respectively representative of the position of said first voluntary actuation member, the rolling speed, the attitude, the yaw speed, the side-slip and of the position of said second voluntary actuation member--a single electrical order for roll control formed by a linear combination of said electrical signals;
a distribution device which, from said single electrical roll control order, controls each of said roll control surfaces via actuation means;
a device capable of elaborating--from said electrical signals respectively representative of the position of said first voluntary actuation member, the rolling speed, the attitude, the yaw speed, the side-slip and of the position of said second voluntary actuation member--an electrical order for yaw control formed by a lin
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L. Muller, "Flight Control At Honeywell", Scientific Honeyweller, vol. 7, No. 1, 1986 (Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.), pp. 8 to 14.
R. L. Kisslinger et al., "Design and Development of the Control Laws for the F-18 Primary Flight Control System", IEEE 1980, Nationaly Aerospace and Electronics Conference NAECON 1980 held at Dayton Convention Center, May 20-22 May 1980, vol. 1 (U.S.), pp. 158-165.
Aerospatiale - Societe Nationale Industrielle
Carone Michael J.
Jordan Charles T.
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