Patent ID: 7908044
Filing Date: 2011-03-15
Classification: B64C,G05D

Abstract:
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 apply a main rotor forward thrust to said fuselage, said main rotor forward thrust being variable; c. a forward thruster, said forward thruster being configured to apply non-rotor forward thrust to said fuselage, said non-rotor forward thrust being variable, said non-rotor forward thrust and said main rotor forward thrust in combination defining a total forward thrust; d. an selector configured to select an operational objective 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 forward thruster, said microprocessor being configured to receive said selected operational objective from said selector, 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 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 forward thrust for said trimmed flight upon said selected one of said plurality of combinations of trim settings.