Patent ID: 8862377

Claim:
A method for sensing a force applied to an aircraft, the method comprising: defining, at a processor, a first velocity vector as a function of a first velocity due to a rotation motion of the aircraft; defining, at the processor, a second velocity vector as a function of a second velocity due to the rotation motion of the aircraft; defining, at the processor, an instant axis of rotation of the aircraft as a function of the first velocity vector and the second velocity vector; determining, at the processor, whether a force has been exerted on a first portion of the aircraft; and outputting an indication that a force has been exerted on the first portion of the aircraft responsive to determining that the force has been exerted on the first portion of the aircraft; wherein the defining the instant axis of rotation includes defining the instant axis of rotation as a line of intersection between a first plane perpendicular to the first velocity vector and a second plane perpendicular to the second velocity vector, wherein the first plane is not parallel to the second plane.