Engine out control system for STOL aircraft

US4106730A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• Robert E. Spitzer · New York, US
• Fred W. May · Bellevue, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 1, 1976
• Grant date: Aug 15, 1978
• Expiry date: Oct 1, 1996

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/0072
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A control system for automatically activating the flight control surfaces of a STOL aircraft that utilizes upper surface blown flaps when the aircraft executes a STOL landing or takeoff maneuver with one engine inoperative in that the engine does not provide the desired or scheduled amount of thrust. The system monitors internal engine pressure of each engine to detect such engine failure and deploys the upper surface blown flaps, conventional flaps and spoilers used as direct lift control devices to provide a relatively uniform lift distribution across the aircraft wing and hence lower induced drag. When the aircraft executes a STOL takeoff procedure with an engine, that does not provide the proper thrust level the upper surface blown flap located aft of that engine is automatically extended to a position that matches the position of those conventional flaps located outboard of the inoperative engine. Closable spanwise slots in the extended upper surface blown flap are opened to cause the upper surface blown flap to effectively function as a conventional slotted flap. During a STOL landing maneuver with an inoperative engine, the system automatically extends the upper surface blow…