Patent ID: 6587757
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: G05D,G08G

Abstract:
A process for guiding a so-called slave aircraft (2) in the context of a convoy flight, behind another so-called master aircraft (1), on one and the same predetermined trajectory and with a preset minimum separation distance DSEP, characterized in that it consists in giving the calculated air speed VCAS,S of the slave aircraft (2) an initial value VCASO,S, in periodically deducing the distance separating the slave aircraft (2) from the master aircraft (1) from the geographical position of the slave aircraft (2) and from that of the master aircraft (1) at one and the same instant, and from the known shape of the trajectory followed by the master (1) and slave (2) aircraft, then in periodically correcting the calculated air speed VCAS,S of the slave aircraft (2) by modifying it with a corrective term E derived from the discrepancy noted between the measured separation distance D and the preset minimum separation distance DSEP, this guidance process being defined by a recurrence relation of the form: &AutoRightMatch;{VCAS,S&af;(t0)=VCAS0,S&af;(t0)VCAS,S&af;(t0+kÎ”&it;â€ƒ&it;t)=VCAS,S&af;(t0+(k-1)&it;Î”t)+E&af;((DSEP-DM),(t0+(k-1)&it;Î”&it;â€ƒ&it;t))&Dgr;t being the periodicity of the correction, DM and DSEP values updated at the instant (t0+(kâˆ’1)&Dgr;t).