Flight simulator

Claim 2

Flight simulator for simulating actual flight conditions of an aircraft having a nose and wings, comprising: a. a shaft mounted rotatably and axially movable; b. a manually operable yoke secured to said shaft and for rotating and moving said shaft axially; c. air speed indicator means operatively interconnected to said shaft and responsive to axial movement thereof to provide a change in indication of air speed; d. altimeter means operatively connected to said shaft and responsive to axial movement thereof to provide a change in indication of altitude; e. artificial horizon means including a rotatable artificial horizon disc divided into two hemispheres by a dividing line corresponding to the horizon, one hemisphere indicating the sky and the other the ground, and said disc being operatively connected to said shaft and being rotatable continuously through 360* in either direction in response to the rotation of said shaft, and further including a T-bar operatively interconnected to said shaft and being moved upwardly and downwardly in response to axial movement thereof, and upon being moved upwardly and downwardly said T-bar indicating the position of said nose of said aircraft relative to the horizon, and upon said artificial horizon disc being rotated relative to said T-bar said T-bar and said disc cooperatively indicating the relative inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon; f. magnetic compass means operatively interconnected to said shaft and operable in response to the rotation of said shaft to provide an indication of change of direction of flight of said aircraft; g. gyro compass means operatively interconnected to said shaft and operable in response to rotation of said shaft to provide an indication of change of direction of flight of said aircraft; h. turn and bank indicator means including a rate of turn indicator and a bank indicator operatively interconnected to said shaft and operable upon rotation of said shaft to provide an indication of the rate of turn and degree of banking of said aircraft; and i. rate of climb indicator means operatively interconnected to said shaft and operable in response to axial movement of said shaft to provide an indication of rate of climb of said aircraft.

Claim 3

Flight simulator according to claim 1, further comprising: j. a rudder control assembly operatively interconnected to said gyro compass means, said rate of turn indicator, said bank indicator, said rotatable artificial horizon disc, said altimeter means, and said rate of climb indicator means, and said rudder control assembly operable to cause said gyro compass means to provide an indication of change of direction of flight of said aircraft, operable to cause said rate of turn indicator to provide an indication of the rate of turn of said aircraft, and operable to cause said bank indicator to provide an indication of the degree of banking of said aircraft, and operable to rotate said rotatable artificial horizon disc relative to said T-bar to cause said T-bar to provide an indication of the relative inclination of said air-craft wings with respect to the horizon, and operable to cause said altimeter means to provide a change in indication of altitude, and operable to cause said rate of climb indicator means to provide an indication of rate of climb of said aircraft.

Claim 4

Flight simulator according to claim 1, further comprising: k. manually operable throttle means operably interconnected to said altimeter means, said rate of climb indicator means, and said air speed indicator meAns, and operable to cause said altimeter means to provide a change in indication of altitude of said aircraft, operable to cause said rate of climb indicator means to provide an indication of rate of climb of said aircraft, operable to cause said air speed indicator means to provide a change in indication of air speed of said aircraft.

Claim 5

Flight simulator according to claim 3 further comprising: l. manually operable pre-set fuel indicator means, said manually operable throttle means operably interconnected with said manually operable pre-set fuel indicator means to operate said altimeter means, said rate of climb indicator means and said air speed indicator means.

Claim 6

Flight simulator according to claim 1, further comprising: m. turbulence generator means for simulating the effect of turbulence on said aircraft and being operatively interconnected to said altimeter means and to said rotatable artificial horizon disc and for operating said altimeter means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence and for rotating said artificial horizon disc relative to said T-bar to cause said T-bar to indicate a change in inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon in response to turbulence.

Claim 7

Flight simulator according to claim 5 wherein said turbulence generator means further includes means for operating said altimeter means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence for a longer period of time than said rotatable artificial horizon disc is rotated with respect to said T-bar to indicate a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon in response to turbulence.

Claim 8

In a flight simulator for simulating actual flight conditions of an aircraft having a nose and wings, the improvement for simulating the response of the aircraft to turbulence, comprising: altimeter means for indicating the altitude of said aircraft; artificial horizon means including a rotatable artificial horizon disc divided into two hemispheres by a dividing line corresponding to the horizon, and T-bar for indicating the position of said nose of said aircraft relative to the horizon, and upon said artificial horizon disc being rotated relative to said T-bar, said T-bar indicating the relative inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon; and turbulence generator means for simulating the effect of turbulence on said aircraft and being operatively connected to said altimeter means and to said artificial horizon means and for operating said altimeter means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence and for operating said artificial horizon means to indicate a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon in response to turbulence.

Claim 9

In a flight simulator for simulating actual flight conditions of an aircraft having a nose and wings, the improvement for simulating the response of the aircraft to turbulence, comprising: altimeter means for indicating the altitude of said aircraft; artificial horizon means including a rotatable artificial horizon disc divided into two hemispheres by a dividing line corresponding to the horizon, and T-bar for indicating the position of said nose of said aircraft relative to the horizon, and upon said artificial horizon disc being rotated relative to said T-bar, said T-bar indicating the relative inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon; and turbulence generator means for simulating the effect of turbulence on said aircraft and being operatively connected to said altimeter means and to said artificial horizon means and for operating said altimeter means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence and for operating said artificial horizon means to indicate a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon in response to turbulence.

Claim 10

Flight simulator according to claim 7 wherein said turbulence generator means further includes means for operating said altimeter means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence for a longer period of time than said artificial horizon means indicates a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon in response to turbulence.

Claim 11

In a flight simulator for simulating the effect of turbulence on an aircraft having a nose and wing, the improvement for simulating the effect of turbulence comprising: a. altimeter means including rotatable means for indicating the altitude of said aircraft and an altimeter motor for rotating said rotatable means; b. artificial horizon means including a rotatable artificial horizon disc divided into two hemispheres by a dividing line corresponding to the horizon, and a T-bar for indicating the position of said nose of said aircraft relative to the horizon, and upon said artificial horizon disc being rotated relative to said T-bar, said T-bar indicating the relative inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon, and further includIng an artificial horizon motor for rotating said rotatable artificial horizon disc; c. turbulence generator means for simulating the effect of degrees of turbulence on said aircraft including: i. a rotatable disc having a pair of annular contact strips provided thereon with each of said annular contact strips being provided with a plurality of spaced apart radial legs positioned on opposite sides thereof; ii. two sets of sliding pick-up contacts, one of said set of contacts operatively connected to said altimeter motor and for biasing said altimeter motor and the other of said set of contacts operatively connected to said artificial horizon motor and for biasing said artificial horizon motor; iii. upon the rotation of said disc one of said set of contacts for slidably engaging one of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said altimeter motor to cause said altimeter motor to rotate said altimeter rotatable means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence, and the other of said set of contacts for slidably engaging the other of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said artificial horizon motor to cause said artificial horizon motor to rotate said artificial horizon disc relative to said T-bar thereby indicating a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings relative to the horizon in response to turbulence; iv. a motor for rotating said rotatable disc, and, v. a turbulence selector switch operatively connected to said motor and for operating said motor.

Claim 12

In a flight simulator for simulating the effect of turbulence on an aircraft having a nose and wing, the improvement for simulating the effect of turbulence comprising: a. altimeter means including rotatable means for indicating the altitude of said aircraft and an altimeter motor for rotating said rotatable means; b. artificial horizon means including a rotatable artificial horizon disc divided into two hemispheres by a dividing line corresponding to the horizon, and a T-bar for indicating the position of said nose of said aircraft relative to the horizon, and upon said artificial horizon disc being rotated relative to said T-bar, said T-bar indicating the relative inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon, and further includIng an artificial horizon motor for rotating said rotatable artificial horizon disc; c. turbulence generator means for simulating the effect of degrees of turbulence on said aircraft including: i. a rotatable disc having a pair of annular contact strips provided thereon with each of said annular contact strips being provided with a plurality of spaced apart radial legs positioned on opposite sides thereof; ii. two sets of sliding pick-up contacts, one of said set of contacts operatively connected to said altimeter motor and for biasing said altimeter motor and the other of said set of contacts operatively connected to said artificial horizon motor and for biasing said artificial horizon motor; iii. upon the rotation of said disc one of said set of contacts for slidably engaging one of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said altimeter motor to cause said altimeter motor to rotate said altimeter rotatable means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence, and the other of said set of contacts for slidably engaging the other of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said artificial horizon motor to cause said artificial horizon motor to rotate said artificial horizon disc relative to said T-bar thereby indicating a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings relative to the horizon in response to turbulence; iv. a motor for rotating said rotatable disc, and, v. a turbulence selector switch operatively connected to said motor and for operating said motor.

Claim 13

Flight simulator according to claim 9 wherein said plurality of radial legs slidably engaged by said one set of sliding pick-up contacts operatively connected to said altimeter motor are wider than said plurality of radial legs slidably engaged by said other set of sliding pick-up contacts operatively connected to said artificial horizon motor whereby upon rotation of said turbulence generator rotatable disc said altimeter means are operated to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence for a longer period of time than said artificial horizon means indicate a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon in response to turbulence.

Claim 14

In a flight simulator for simulating the effect of varying turbulence on an aircraft having a nose and wing, the improvement for simulating the effect of varying turbulence comprising: a. altimeter means including rotatable means for indicating the altitude of said aircraft and an altimeter motor for rotating said rotatable means; b. artifical horizon means including a rotatable artificial horizon disc divided into two hemispheres by a dividing line corresponding to the horizon, and a T-bar for indicating the position of said nose of said aircraft relative to the horizon, and upon said artificial horizon disc being rotated relative to said T-bar, said T-bar indicating the relative inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon, and further including an artificial horizon motor for rotating said rotatable disc; c. turbulence generator means including: i. a rotatable disc having a pair of annular contact strips provided thereon with each of said annular contact strips being provided with a plurality of spaced apart radial legs positioned on opposite sides thereof, ii. two sets of sliding pick-up contacts, one of said set of contacts being operatively connected to said altimeter motor and the other of said set of contacts being operatively connected to said artificial horizon motor, iii. upon the rotation of said disc, one of said set of contacts for slidably engaging one of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said altimeter motor to cause said altimeter motor to rotate said altimeter rotatable means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence, and the other of said set of contacts for slidably engaging the other of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said artificial horizon motor to cause said artificial horizon motor to rotate said artificial horizon disc relative to said T-bar thereby indicating a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings relative to the horizon in response to turbulence; iv. a motor for rotating said rotatable disc, and v. a variable turbulence selector switch operatively connected to said motor and having a plurality of settings for selectively varying the speed of said motor and thereby the rate of rotation of said rotatable disc and thereby the bias of said altimeter and said artificial horizon motors and thereby, respectively, producing a variable indication in the change in altitude of said aircraft and an indication of variable change in inclination of said aircraft wings relative to the horizon in response to varying turbulence.

Claim 15

In a flight simulator for simulating the effect of varying turbulence on an aircraft having a nose and wing, the improvement for simulating the effect of varying turbulence comprising: a. altimeter means including rotatable means for indicating the altitude of said aircraft and an altimeter motor for rotating said rotatable means; b. artifical horizon means including a rotatable artificial horizon disc divided into two hemispheres by a dividing line corresponding to the horizon, and a T-bar for indicating the position of said nose of said aircraft relative to the horizon, and upon said artificial horizon disc being rotated relative to said T-bar, said T-bar indicating the relative inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon, and further including an artificial horizon motor for rotating said rotatable disc; c. turbulence generator means including: i. a rotatable disc having a pair of annular contact strips provided thereon with each of said annular contact strips being provided with a plurality of spaced apart radial legs positioned on opposite sides thereof, ii. two sets of sliding pick-up contacts, one of said set of contacts being operatively connected to said altimeter motor and the other of said set of contacts being operatively connected to said artificial horizon motor, iii. upon the rotation of said disc, one of said set of contacts for slidably engaging one of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said altimeter motor to cause said altimeter motor to rotate said altimeter rotatable means to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence, and the other of said set of contacts for slidably engaging the other of said plurality of radial legs and for biasing said artificial horizon motor to cause said artificial horizon motor to rotate said artificial horizon disc relative to said T-bar thereby indicating a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings relative to the horizon in response to turbulence; iv. a motor for rotating said rotatable disc, and v. a variable turbulence selector switch operatively connected to said motor and having a plurality of settings for selectively varying the speed of said motor and thereby the rate of rotation of said rotatable disc and thereby the bias of said altimeter and said artificial horizon motors and thereby, respectively, producing a variable indication in the change in altitude of said aircraft and an indication of variable change in inclination of said aircraft wings relative to the horizon in response to varying turbulence.

Claim 16

Flight simulator according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of radial legs slidably engaged by said one set of sliding pick-up contacts operatively connected to said altimeter motor are wider than said plurality of radial legs slidably engaged by said other set of sliding pick-up contacts operatively connected to said artificial horizon motor whereby upon rotation of said turbulence generator rotatable disc said altimeter means are operated to indicate a change in altitude of said aircraft in response to turbulence for a longer period of time than said artificial horizon means indicate a change in the inclination of said aircraft wings with respect to the horizon in response to turbulence.