Thermal center flight indicator for gliders
US6089506A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jul 18, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64D43/00
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A thermal center flight indicator is provided that serves glider pilots who want to gain altitude by circling in thermals. The indicator is activated when entering a thermal, indicating to a pilot a continually computed approximate position of the center of the thermal relative to the present position and heading. The pilot can iteratively improve his track, thus making better use of the thermal. The indicator comprises a computing unit and an indicator, and computes input signals from a position-fix-unit and a measuring unit for the vertical speed. The computing unit computes a product of vertical speed and position coordinates, and sums up all positive products of position coordinates and vertical speed. The computing unit forms coordinates of a thermal center by dividing the sum of all products of position coordinates and positive vertical speed by a sum of all vertical speeds.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.