Patent ID: 8793040

Claim:
A climb-optimized automatic takeoff system for an aircraft comprising: sensors disposed on the aircraft, said sensors being configured to detect aircraft flight conditions; at least one processor disposed on said aircraft and operatively connected to said sensors, said processor automatically measuring instantaneous airplane pitch attitude; a flight management computer that controls an aerodynamic control surface responsible for pitch control, namely an elevators of said aircraft to allow the aircraft to rotate to an optimized pitch attitude at and after the takeoff rotation speed V R while ensuring that the minimum required takeoff climb gradients γ and the geometric limitations of the aircraft are being respected; wherein climb gradient is given by: γ = T - D W - ϕ ; and a flight control law which allows the said flight management computer to control the elevator according to an optimized elevator deflection, thus yielding the optimized pitch attitude at and after the takeoff rotation speed V R while ensuring that the minimum required takeoff climb gradient (γ) as well as guaranteeing that all aircraft limitations are respected, wherein the optimized pitch attitude is continually evaluated to automatically follow a variable pitch target at and after takeoff rotation.