Patent GB-919360-A (GB)
Title: Aircraft take-off performance monitoring apparatus
IPC: G05D1/00
Filed: 1960-06-16
Abstract: 919,360. Measuring electrically. SPERRY RAND CORPORATION. June 16, 1960 [June 17, 1959], No. 21122/60. Class 40 (1). [Also in Groups XIX and XXXIII] In a system for monitoring the performance of an aircraft during a take-off run comprising acceleration responsive means mounted in the craft for providing a signal representative of the forward acceleration experienced by the craft, vertical reference means are provided to compensate the system for the effect of gravity upon the acceleration responsive means, and a measure of the performance of the aircraft which includes a function of the forward acceleration signal is compared with a measure of the minimum acceptable performance. As shown, Fig. 2, a linear accelerometer 10 is mounted in the aircraft with its sensitive axis horizontal when the craft is in its normal taxi position. When the take-off run is begun, accelerometer 10 produces a signal which is filtered and applied to a summing network 21 where it is combined with a signal from a pick-off 23 associated with a vertical gyro 15 which compensates the acceleration signal for the effect of gravity on the accelerometer due to rotation of the craft about its pitch axis. An erection system 22 for the vertical gyro 15 is uncoupled therefrom by operation of a relay 30 when the forward acceleration signal reaches a predetermined low level; this prevents the erection system, itself subject to acceleration forces, from erecting the gyro to a false vertical; alternatively the erection system and the gyro may be manually disconnected. A manually set pitch bias transducer 27 provides a signal to neutralize the signal produced by pick-off 23 due to gravity when the aircraft is in the taxi position; these two signals are combined in a summing network 24, the output of which is amplified and demodulated before being fed to network 21. During a normal take-off run, the forward acceleration decreases due to aerodynamic drag, rolling friction, and decreasing engine thrust; it is shown that this decrease in acceleration may be expressed as Kq/W, where K is a factor dependent on the aerodynamic characteristics of the craft, q=dynamic pressure, and W=gross weight of the craft. In order that the output of the system shall remain constant during normal operation, a signal representing Kq/W is produced in a computer network 41 and added to the acceleration signal from network 21 in a summing network 42. Computer network 41 comprises a dynamic pressure transducer 36, in which a bellows subjected to the difference between total pressure and static pressure, positions the slider of a potentiometer 38 to produce the signal, and potentiometers 33, 35 which are manually positioned in accordance with the values of K and W respectively. The output of summing network 42 energizes a meter mechanism 43 (see also Fig. 3) to position a pointer 44 which co-operates with the dial 46 of a display device 45, calibrated in units of acceleration. The pointer 44 also co-operates with two masks 50 51 of contrasting colour, mask 51 being slidable behind mask 50 to provide a line of demarcation 47 between them. The minimum acceptable value of acceleration for take-off is set manually via knob 53 which positions a counter 61 to display the value, and also, through gearing 54, 52, 57, 56 rotates masks 50, 51, the latter more quickly than the former, until demarcation line 47 registers with the scale of dial 46 at the minimum acceptable value. Knob 34, which positions potentiometer 35, also operates a counter 63 to indicate the gross weight of the craft. If the erection system 22 is not disconnected from vertical gyro 15 it slaves the gyro at a maximum erection rate; the effect of this on the acceleration signal can be compensated by a signal representing BV/A, where B is maximum erection rate of the erection system, V=air speed of the craft; A=desired acceleration. Fig. 5 shows a computer network 71 capable of providing such a signal. The B term is put in manually to potentiometer 73; A is put into potentiometer 75 by means of knob 53; and the V term is derived from a potentiometer 76, operated by the dynamic pressure transducer 36, the winding of which has square root law. Alternatively, the V/A term may be provided by a timing motor. Alternatively, pitch compensation may be provided by mounting the accelerometer 10 on a platform which is stabilized in pitch, or is driven by a pitch signal from pick-off 23 to maintain the sensitive axis horizontal.