Flight control system

Claim 2

A flight control system for regulation of an engine throttle and elevator control of an engine driven flight vehicle, comprising: a. a linkage mechanism positioned within and rotatably secured to said flight vehicle, said mechanism having a plurality of moveable levers for independent actuation of said elevator control and said engine throttle; and, b. flight control means operable by one hand of an operator, connected to said levers of said linkage mechanism and positioned external to said flight vehicle, said flight control means having a longitudinal dimension and rotatable in a plane normal to said longitudinal direction and in a plane substantially coincident with said longitudinal direction to provide responsive motion of said engine throttle and said elevator control respectively, said rotation in said normal plane to provide said throttle motion inducing no elevator control motion, whereby elevator control is independent of throttle control.

Claim 3

The flight control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said linkage mechanism includes: a. an elevator control lever being an extended bar having an arm rigidly secured to and substantially normal to said bar, in unitary plane formation said bar having first and second opposing ends and pivoted to said flight vehicle intermediate said opposing ends; b. elevator lever rotation means connected to said first end of said extended bar and said flight control means on opposing ends thereof, said elevator lever rotation means for rotationally pivoting said elevator control lever responsive to movement of said flight control means in said plane substantially coincident with said longitudinal direction; and, c. elevator actuation means connected to said normally extended arm and said elevator on opposing ends thereof, said elevator actuation means for rotating said elevator in a plane normal to a radius of curvature of the flight contour of said flight vehicle.

Claim 4

The flight control system as recited in claim 2 wherein said elevator lever rotation means includes a flexible cable line rotatably secured at an initial end to said first end of said extended bar of said elevator control lever, said flexible cable line being rotatably secured to said flight control means at a final end remote from an external to said flight vehicle.

Claim 5

The flight control system as recited in claim 2 wherein said elevator actuation means includes an elongated rod rotatably connected on opposing ends thereof to said normally extended arm and said elevator.

Claim 6

The flight control system as recited in claim 2 wherein said linkage mechanism includes: a. a throttle lever being an extended bar having an arm rigidly secured to and substantially normal to said bar in unitary plane formation, said bar having first and second opposing ends and intermediately pivoted to said elevator control lever bar on said second end thereof; b. a throttle arm rotationally secured to said flight vehicle, said throttle arm being connected to and rotationally moveable with respect to a corresponding rotation of said throttLe lever; and, c. a rod member connected on opposing ends thereof to said throttle and said throttle arm, said rod member to linearly translate responsive to said rotation of said throttle arm.

Claim 7

The flight control system as recited in claim 5 including means for throttle lever rotation for rotation of said throttle arm and linear translation of said rod member, said means for throttle lever rotation being a pair of flexible cable lines rotatably secured to said first and second ends of said extended bar of said throttle lever, said pair of flexible cable lines further being rotatably secured to said flight control means remote from and external to said flight vehicle.

Claim 8

The flight control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said flight control means includes: a. a tubular housing having a longitudinal dimension, said housing having an upper casing for securement therein of a paIr of throttle control cables and a lower end for securement of an elevator control cable, said cables connected on remote ends to said lever of said linkage mechanism within said flight vehicle; b. throttle cable rotation means within said upper casing of said tubular housing for controlling relative lengths of said throttle control cables by rotating said tubular housing in said plane substantially normal to said longitudinal direction; and, c. independent rotation means within said housing for permitting said throttle cable rotation independent of said elevator control cable actuation.

Claim 9

The flight control system as recited in claim 7 wherein said throttle cable rotation means includes a pulley rigidly secured to said tubular housing within said upper casing and cooperatively rotatable with said tubular housing in said plane normal to said longitudinal direction, said throttle control cables extending circumferential to said pulley sand fastened thereto.

Claim 10

The flight control system as recited in claim 7 wherein said upper casing of said tubular housing is independently rotatable with respect to said lower end of said tubular housing.

Claim 11

The flight control system as recited in claim 7 wherein said independent rotation means includes: a. a central shaft extended in said longitudinal direction within said tubular housing and rotationally moveable with respect thereto, said central shaft passing through a longitudinal opening formed in said throttle cable rotation means and rotationally moveable with respect thereto; and, b. means for rigidly securing said central shaft to said upper casing of said tubular housing for cooperative rotation between said upper casing of said housing and said central shaft.