Multichannel autopilot with equalization means for a resilient control system

Claim 2

In a multiple channel flight control system for aircraft which includes navigation means responsive to aircraft position and resilient means to operatively interconnect the surface control means of the multiple channels including manual control means, the improvement comprising: means connected in each channel of the system for generating equalization signals in response to the difference in the position of the control surface of the channel in relation to the average position of the control surfaces of the system whereby said equalization signals can be used to monitor the operation of the channels of the system, and means in each channel for combining said equalization signals of the channel with the output signals of the navigation means fed to the channel to predeterminately reduce the difference in the position of the control surface of the channel in relation to the average position of the control system.

Claim 3

The system defined in claim 1 wherein said navigation means include: means to generate position error output signals which vary with the aircraft position with respect to a predetermined flight path; means for combining said position error output signals with said equalization signals to produce combined signals; integrator means to which said combined signals are fed which produce output signals which are the integrals of said combined signals; and other means for combining said integrated combined signals with said position error output signals to produce said navigation means output signals.

Claim 4

The system defined by claim 1 wherein said means for generating equalization output signals include: first sensor means connected to the manual control means to produce output signals representative of the average control system position; second sensor means operatively connected to a control surface to produce output signals representative of the actual position thereof; and means for subtracting said first and second sensor means output signals to produce said equalization signals.

Claim 5

The system defined by claim 2 wherein said first sensor means include a linear variable differential transformer.

Claim 6

In a multiple channel flight control system for aircraft which includes navigation means which generate navigation output signals in response to the position of the aircraft, surface control means in each channel of the system predeterminately responsive to the navigation output signals to control the position of an associated control surface by controlling an associated control surface actuator, and linkage means which resiliently interconnect the control surfaces of the multiple channels, the linkage means including manual control and centering means, the improvement in each channel comprising: sensor means for generating sensor signals responsive to the difference in position between the manual control means and the control surface of the channel; means for combining said sensor signals and the navigation output signals to form error signals; means for integrating said error signals; and means for combining said integrated error signals with the navigation output signals to form corrected navigation output signals which are fed to the surface control means as the control input thereto.

Claim 7

In a multiple channel flight control system for aircraft which includes navigation means which generate navigation output signals in response to the position of the aircraft, surface control means in each channel of the system predeterminately responsive to the navigation output signals to control the position of an associated control surface by controlling an associated control surface actuator, and linkage means which resiliently interconnect the control surfaces of the multiple channels, the linkage means including manual control and centering means, the improvement in each channel comprising: sensor means for generating sensor signals responsive to the difference in position between the manual control means and the control surface of the channel; means for combining said sensor signals and the navigation output signals to form error signals; means for integrating said error signals; and means for combining said integrated error signals with the navigation output signals to form corrected navigation output signals which are fed to the surface control means as the control input thereto.

Claim 8

The system defined by claim 5 wherein said sensor means include: manual control sensor means which produce manual control position output signals; control surface sensor means which produce control surface position output signals; and means for differencing said manual control position output signals and said control surface position output signals to generate said sensor signals.

Claim 9

The system defined in claim 6 wherein said control surface sensor means include: means to predeterminately scale said manual control position output signals.