Method for protecting an aircraft against vertical gusts of wind and pitch-attitude control device employing this method
US6044311A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 25, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 25, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05D1/0615
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for protecting an aircraft in cruising flight against excessive load factors when a vertical gust of wind occurs is disclosed. The system has a pitch-attitude flight control system (21) which is under the control of a pilot of the aircraft, an automatic pilot (26), a switch (25) allowing the aerodynamic pitch-attitude control surfaces (22) of the aircraft to be controlled either by the flight control system (21) or by the automatic pilot (26), and a protection system (31) capable of acting on the switch (25) to disconnect the automatic pilot (26) and switch on the flight control system (21). The disconnection of the automatic pilot (26) and the switching-on of the flight control system (21) is delayed by a delay time which is at least approximately equal to a typical duration of a vertical gust of wind, and the switching-on of the flight control system (21) is not carried out unless the gust of wind persists when the delay time has elapsed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.