Control device for avoiding the pitching up of missiles or aircraft

Claim 1

A method for avoiding a pitching up of aircraft during flight, comprising the steps of: detecting the instantaneous angle of attack and producing a first signal; detecting the rate of change of said angle of attack in response to a change in control surface position initiated by a pilot for said aircraft and producing a second signal; disconnecting direct command of the control surface movement by the pilot in response to said first and second signals in advance of reaching a permissible angle of attack for said aircraft so that said direct commands from said pilot will ineffective to control the aircraft beyond said permissible angle of attack; and thereafter modulating said direct commands from said pilot so that the continued performance of said aircraft will be optimized by approaching said permissible angle of attack but not exceeding same, said optimizing occurring only as long as said first and second signals, which indicate the demand of said pilot, indicate that said permissible angle of attack will be exceeded.

Claim 2

A method for avoiding a pitching up of aircraft during flight, comprising the steps of: detecting the instantaneous angle of attack and producing a first signal; detecting the rate of change of said angle of attack in response to a change in control surface position initiated by a pilot for said aircraft and producing a second signal; disconnecting direct command of the control surface movement by the pilot in response to said first and second signals in advance of reaching a permissible angle of attack for said aircraft so that said direct commands from said pilot will ineffective to control the aircraft beyond said permissible angle of attack; and thereafter modulating said direct commands from said pilot so that the continued performance of said aircraft will be optimized by approaching said permissible angle of attack but not exceeding same, said optimizing occurring only as long as said first and second signals, which indicate the demand of said pilot, indicate that said permissible angle of attack will be exceeded.

Claim 11

An apparatus for avoiding a pitching up of aircraft having a movable control surface thereon controlled by a pilot for said aircraft, comprising: first means for detecting the instantaneous angle of attack and producing a first signal; second means for detecting the rate of change of said angle of attack in response to a change in control surface position and producing a second signal; means defining a source of first and second reference voltage signals; first voltage multiplying means responsive to said first signal to produce a third voltage signal proportional to said first signal; adjustable second voltage multiplying means responsive to said first signal to produce an adjustable fourth voltage signal proportional to said first signal; third voltage multiplying means responsive to said second signal to produce a fifth voltage signal proportional to said second signal, said third, fourth and fifth voltage signals being opposite in sign from said first and second reference voltages; first trigger circuit means for producing a sixth signal in response to a sum of said first reference voltage and said third voltage signal which is beyond a first predefined threshhold value; second trigger circuit means for producing a seventh signal in response to a sum of said second reference voltage and said fourth and fifth voltage signals which is beyond a second predefined threshhold value; and switch means responsive to both of said sixth and seventh signals for disconnecting the direct command over a control surface movement by a pilot for said aircraft in response to one or both of said sixth and seventh signals, said direct command over said control surface movement by said pilot being disconnected in advance of said sum of said first reference voltage and said third voltage signal being beyond a third predefined threshhold which is a permissible angle of attack limit for said aircraft.

Claim 12

An apparatus for avoiding a pitching up of aircraft having a movable control surface thereon controlled by a pilot for said aircraft, comprising: first means for detecting the instantaneous angle of attack and producing a first signal; second means for detecting the rate of change of said angle of attack in response to a change in control surface position and producing a second signal; means defining a source of first and second reference voltage signals; first voltage multiplying means responsive to said first signal to produce a third voltage signal proportional to said first signal; adjustable second voltage multiplying means responsive to said first signal to produce an adjustable fourth voltage signal proportional to said first signal; third voltage multiplying means responsive to said second signal to produce a fifth voltage signal proportional to said second signal, said third, fourth and fifth voltage signals being opposite in sign from said first and second reference voltages; first trigger circuit means for producing a sixth signal in response to a sum of said first reference voltage and said third voltage signal which is beyond a first predefined threshhold value; second trigger circuit means for producing a seventh signal in response to a sum of said second reference voltage and said fourth and fifth voltage signals which is beyond a second predefined threshhold value; and switch means responsive to both of said sixth and seventh signals for disconnecting the direct command over a control surface movement by a pilot for said aircraft in response to one or both of said sixth and seventh signals, said direct command over said control surface movement by said pilot being disconnected in advance of said sum of said first reference voltage and said third voltage signal being beyond a third predefined threshhold which is a permissible angle of attack limit for said aircraft.