Patent ID: 6038497
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
An aircraft turn guidance system for guiding an airplane through a moving airmass along a generally non-circular path over the ground that will produce a constant-roll turn in the presence of a substantial anticipated wind, comprising:a navigation system that provides for position, velocity, and waypoint heading and distance information of an airplane through a moving airmass; anda path computer connected to the navigation system and including further inputs to accept roll angle, airframe and airspace constraint information of said airplane;wherein the path computer computes a constant-roll-turn solution for piloting said airplane that is circular relative to the airmass but not circular to the ground when transitioning between waypoints from inbound to outbound legs in the presence of a substantial wind that is moving said airmass relative to the ground; andwherein any error predicted to be previously caused by wind is included a computed solution for said constant-roll-turn solution.