US3815262A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
In-flight retractible landing gear training simulator for fixed landing gear aircraft
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-05-29
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Granted: 1974-06-11
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Expires: 1993-05-29
Abstract
Abstract When a pilot, fully qualified and licensed, and possibly of long accident-free experience, in the flying of fixed landing gear aircraft, desires to progress to retractible landing gear aircraft, the insurance companies require extensive flight practice with an instructor as a condition precedent to the issuance of a required insurance policy. The present invention provides a simple, compact, inexpensive simulator for installation on fixed landing gear aircraft, having (1) a manually operable actuator corresponding to the landing gear lowering actuator provided conventionally on rectractible landing gear aircraft, (2) indicator means responsive thereto for randomly simulating either correct lowering and locking of the individual landing wheels or a malfunction of one or more of the landing wheels, and (3) means corresponding to a conventional emergency landing gear lowering actuator for cancelling any indication or indications of malfunction. The simulator further includes a sounding device and a warning light for reminding the pilot that he has overlooked ''''lowering the landing gear'''' whenever he has cut the throttle without having gone through the landing gear lowering procedure, and for calling attention to the fact that not all landing gear lights are lighted when they should be.
Inventors
- 👤 R Patterson
- 👤 W Majure
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 04:20
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B9/00; G09B9/02; G09B9/08; G09B9/16; G09B9/20; G09B9/203
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
A practice, in-flight simulator for use on fixed landing gear aircraft for the benefit of a pilot who wishes, without jeopardy, to perfect the technique of managing retractible landing gear aircraft, comprising, in combination, a. a primary control member corresponding to a normal landing gear lowering and raising control member of retractible landing gear aircraft, said member having a ''''landing gear retracting'''' position and a ''''landing gear lowering'''' position; b. simulated malfunction indicating means responsive to operation of said primary control member to the ''''lowering'''' position, randomly to Indicate either a normal lowering of landing gear to operative position or a malfunction of one or more elements of the landing gear; c. a further control member, corresponding to an emergency landing gear lowering control member of retractible landing gear aircraft; and d. means responsive to said further control member, when a malfunction has been indicated, for readjusting the indicating means to indicate that the intended lowering has been properly and effectively performed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
A practice, in-flight simulator for use on fixed landing gear aircraft for the benefit of a pilot who wishes, without jeopardy, to perfect the technique of managing retractible landing gear aircraft, comprising, in combination, a. a primary control member corresponding to a normal landing gear lowering and raising control member of retractible landing gear aircraft, said member having a ''''landing gear retracting'''' position and a ''''landing gear lowering'''' position; b. simulated malfunction indicating means responsive to operation of said primary control member to the ''''lowering'''' position, randomly to Indicate either a normal lowering of landing gear to operative position or a malfunction of one or more elements of the landing gear; c. a further control member, corresponding to an emergency landing gear lowering control member of retractible landing gear aircraft; and d. means responsive to said further control member, when a malfunction has been indicated, for readjusting the indicating means to indicate that the intended lowering has been properly and effectively performed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A practice, in-flight simulator as set forth in claim 1 which includes an aircraft throttle, and a supplemental warning means responsive to cutting the throttle with the primary control member not in ''''landing gear lowering'''' position to sound an audible warning signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A practice, in-flight simulator as set forth in claim 2 in which the supplemental warning means also includes a steady danger light which is turned on and off in unison with the aduible warning signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
A practice, in-flight simulator as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for activating the supplemental warning means, when the throttle is prematurely cut, is constructed and arranged also to activate whenever the primary control member has been placed in ''''landing gear lowering position'''' but a malfunction of one or more of the landing gear elements is indicated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
A practice, in-flight simulator as set forth in claim 1 in which the malfunction indicating means comprises a series of lights corresponding, respectively, to the several retractible elements of a retractible landing gear, each light, when illuminated, signifies that the landing gear element which it represents has been successfully lowered.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A practice, in-flight simulator as set forth in claim 5 which includes a relaxation oscillator directly responsive to the primary control member for developing and transmitting a significant light control pulse only after a predetermined ''''landing gear lowering period,'''' said relaxation oscillator including a variable resistor settable to regulate the duration of such period.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
208 words
A simulator as set forth in claim 6 in which an AND gate is included in the control means for each light, which gate requires both a and b inputs for illumination of the light to be effected, said simulator further including a master flip-flop, and means including a free-running multivibrator and a decade counter which is made responsive to the multivibrator throughout the ''''landing gear lowering'''' period by the master flip-flop, with the result that throughout that period differing and varying outputs of the decade counter are furnished as b inputs to the several light controlling AND gates while all a inputs to the AND gates is suppressed by the master flip-flop, the master flip-flop being subject to a change of state by the relaxation oscillator generated pulse, simultaneously to cause steady and effective a inputs to be furnished to all of said light controlling AND gates, and to cut off input from the multivibrator to the decade counter, thereby to freeze the b inputs from the decade counter to the several light controlling AND gates at whatever values they happen to have, effective or ineffective, at the instant of the change of state of the master flip-flop induced by the pulse generated by the relaxation oscillator.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
99 words
A simulator as set forth in claim 7 in which the further control member corresponding to an emergency landing gear lowering control member of retractible landing gear aircraft consists of a normally open switch disposed in a circuit which includes a flip-flop through which b inputs may be furnished to all of the light controlling AND gates referred to, said switch being effective when held closed briefly to assure the setting of the flip-flop to a state for furnishing sustained, effective b inputs to all of the AND gates and thereby establishing and/or maintaining illumination of all the lights.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
95 words
A simulAtor as set forth in claim 7 including means to restore the primary control member to the up position to thereby cause the relaxation oscillator to generate a timed pulse, which pulse through a change of circuitry brought about by the changed position of the primary actuator will reach the master flip-flop in such a way that the master flip-flop will undergo a change of state effective to terminate the furnishing of a inputs to the light controlling AND gates, and to re-establish the capability of the multivibrator to influence the decade counter output.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-06-10 | 1977-12-10 | 1978-06-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-06-10 | 1981-12-10 | 1982-06-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-06-10 | 1985-12-10 | 1986-06-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |