초록 ▼

The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of control biases each which is designed to ach

The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of control biases each which is designed to achieve an overall operational objective. The control system applies the selected control bias in allocating the control function among the redundant control options.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A compound aircraft, said compound aircraft comprising: a. a fuselage; b. a main rotor rotatably connected to said fuselage, said main rotor being configured to exert a main rotor lifting force to said fuselage; c. a wing connected to said fuselage, said wing being configured

What is claimed is: 1. A compound aircraft, said compound aircraft comprising: a. a fuselage; b. a main rotor rotatably connected to said fuselage, said main rotor being configured to exert a main rotor lifting force to said fuselage; c. a wing connected to said fuselage, said wing being configured to exert a wing lifting force to said fuselage, said main rotor and said wing in combination being configured to exert a total lifting force to said fuselage; d. means to select an operational objective by a user of the compound aircraft from among a plurality of operational objectives; e. an inceptor, said inceptor being configured to receive a command for a trimmed flight; f. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said main rotor and to said wing, said microprocessor being operably connected to said means to select said operational objective and to said inceptor, said microprocessor being configured to receive said selected operational objective from said means to select said operational objective, said microprocessor being configured to receive said command for said trimmed flight from said inceptor; g. a computer memory operably connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a database accessible to said microprocessor, said database including a plurality of combinations of trim settings, each of said plurality of combinations of trim settings being configured to achieve said command for said trimmed flight when applied by said microprocessor, a one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being configured to select said one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being programmed to allocate said total lifting force between said rotor lifting force and said wing lifting force for said trimmed flight, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total lifting force for said trimmed flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings. 2. The compound aircraft of claim 1, the compound aircraft further comprising: a sensor, said sensor being operably connected to said microprocessor, said sensor being configured to detect an aircraft condition, said sensor being configured to communicate said aircraft condition to said microprocessor, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total lifting force between said main rotor lifting force and said wing lifting force based upon said aircraft condition. 3. The compound aircraft of claim 2 wherein said command for said trimmed flight is a one of a plurality of possible commands for said trimmed flight and wherein said plurality of combinations of trim settings is a one of a plurality of pluralities of combinations of trim settings, each of said plurality of pluralities of combinations of trim settings corresponding to a one of said plurality of operational objectives. 4. The compound aircraft of claim 1 wherein a. said main rotor is configured to selectably apply a rotor rolling moment to said fuselage, said rotor rolling moment being variable; b. said wing is configured to selectably apply a wing rolling moment to said fuselage, said wing rolling moment being variable, said main rotor and said wing in combination exerting a total rolling moment on said fuselage; c. said microprocessor is programmed to allocate said total rotting moment between said main rotor rolling moment and said wing rolling moment for said trimmed flight, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total rolling moment for said trimmed flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings. 5. The compound aircraft of claim 4 wherein said main rotor is configured to provide a main rotor forward thrust, said main rotor forward thrust being variable, the compound aircraft further comprising: a. means for providing a non-rotor forward thrust, said non-rotor thrust being variable, said non-rotor forward thrust and said main rotor forward thrust in combination defining a total forward thrust; b. said microprocessor being operably connected to said means to provide said non-rotor forward thrust, said microprocessor being programmed to allocate said total forward thrust between said main rotor forward thrust and said non-rotor forward thrust for said trimmed flight, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total thrust for said trimmed flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings. 6. The compound aircraft of claim 5 wherein said main rotor has a collective setting and a cyclic setting, said selected combination of said trim control settings including said collective setting and said cyclic setting and wherein said configuration of said wing to provide said wing lifting force comprises: a flap operably connected to said wing, said flap having a variable angle with respect to said wing, said microprocessor being programmed to select said angle of said flap, said angle of said flap being defined by said selected combination of trim control settings. 7. The compound aircraft of claim 5 wherein said means to provide non-rotor forward thrust comprises: a propeller having a variable propeller pitch, said propeller being rotatably attached to said fuselages, said microprocessor being operably connected to said propeller, said microprocessor being programmed to select said propeller pitch, said propeller pitch being defined by said selected combination of trim control settings. 8. The compound aircraft of claim 7, the compound aircraft further comprising: a. a rudder connected to said fuselage, said rudder being configured to impart a variable rudder yaw moment to said fuselage, said configuration of said rudder to impart said variable yaw moment comprising said rudder having a variable rudder angle with respect to said fuselage, said propeller being adapted for rotation and adapted to generate a stream of air when said propeller is rotating, said rudder being located within said stream of air generated by said propeller when said propeller is rotating; b. a sector operably connected to said fuselage, said sector being configured to impart a variable sector yaw moment to said fuselage, said configuration of said sector to impart said sector yaw moment comprising said sector being configured to variably receive said stream of said air when said propeller is rotating, said sector being adapted to variably redirect said stream of said air, said variable rudder yaw moment and said variable sector yaw moment in combination defining a total yaw moment; c. said sector and said rudder being operably connected to said microprocessor, said microprocessor being programmed to allocate said total yaw moment between said rudder yaw moment and said sector yaw moment for said trimmed flight, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total yaw moment for said trimmed flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings. 9. The compound aircraft of claim 4 wherein said adaptation of said wing to provide said wing rolling moment comprising: a pair of ailerons operably connected to said wing, said pair of ailerons being adapted to have differential positions, said microprocessor being configured to select said differential positions of said pair of ailerons, said differential positions of said pair of ailerons being defined by said selected combination of trim control settings. 10. The compound aircraft of claim 9 wherein said pair of ailerons is a pair of flaperons. 11. A compound aircraft, said compound aircraft comprising: a. a fuselage; b. a main rotor rotatably connected to said fuselage, said main rotor being configured to exert a main rotor lifting force to said fuselage; c. a wing connected to said fuselage, said wing being configured to exert a wing lifting force to said fuselage, said main rotor and said wing in combination being configured to exert a total lifting force to said fuselage; d. means to select an operational objective by a user of the compound aircraft from among a plurality of operational objectives; e. an inceptor, said inceptor being configured to receive a command for a maneuvering flight; f. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said main rotor and to said wing, said microprocessor being operably connected to said means to select said operational objective and to said inceptor, said microprocessor being configured to receive said selected operational objective from said means to select said operational objective, said microprocessor being configured to receive said command for said maneuvering flight from said inceptor; g. a computer memory operably connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a database accessible to said microprocessor, said database including a plurality of combinations of weighting factors, each of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors being configured to achieve said command for said maneuvering flight when applied by said microprocessor, a one of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being configured to select said one of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors corresponding to said selected operational objective, said microprocessor being programmed to allocate said total lifting force between said rotor lifting force and said wing lifting force for said maneuvering flight, said microprocessor being programmed to base said allocation of said total lifting force for said maneuvering flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of weighting factors. 12. The compound aircraft of claim 11 wherein said command for maneuvering flight is a one of a plurality of possible commands for maneuvering flight and wherein said plurality of combinations of weighting factors is a one of a plurality of pluralities of combinations of weighting factors.