초록 ▼

An aircraft autopilot system provides a wind correction angle which is added to the desired course to provide commanded heading, the wind correction angle being generated as a proportional and integral function of ground track error. When the aircraft is off its desired course, it can be returned to

An aircraft autopilot system provides a wind correction angle which is added to the desired course to provide commanded heading, the wind correction angle being generated as a proportional and integral function of ground track error. When the aircraft is off its desired course, it can be returned to the desired course by means of a course intercept angle, added to the desired course, to provide a corrected commanded course, the course intercept angle being a proportional function of the perpendicular error (the lateral distance of the aircraft from the original course) suitably limited to some angle within 90.degree. of the desired course. The course correction angle may be generated as a proportion of the perpendicular course error determined by the degree of importance of accuracy, and may be switched over to a course directly toward a waypoint in dependence upon the importance of efficiency. The course intercept angle may be a variable proportion of the perpendicular error as a function of the importance of accuracy, and the limits on the intercept angle determined by the relative importance of efficiency.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] An automatic flight control system for an aircraft, comprising:means for providing a desired course signal indicative of a desired course which the aircraft may fly in order to reach a waypoint;means for providing a ground track signal as a function of the arctangent of the ratio o

[ We claim:] [1.] An automatic flight control system for an aircraft, comprising:means for providing a desired course signal indicative of a desired course which the aircraft may fly in order to reach a waypoint;means for providing a ground track signal as a function of the arctangent of the ratio of the group speed in one direction in each coordinates divided by the groundspeed of the aircraft in a direction in each coordinates which is normal to said one direction, corrected for the quadrant of said ratio;means for providing a ground track error signal as the difference between said desired course and said ground track; andmeans for providing a commanded heading signal as a summation of said desired course signal with proportional and integral functions of said ground track error signal.