US4042197A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic controls for airplane take-off and landing modes
Assignee: Boeing Co
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Filing: 1975-09-29
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Granted: 1977-08-16
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Expires: 1995-09-29
Abstract
Abstract A take-off and landing control device for automatic retraction of flaps upon stowing landing gear and upon attaining a predetermined airspeed and of indicating distance from brake release during take-off, and for an automatic decelerating approach with flaps extending as a function of distance from touchdown with automatic throttle cutback and automatic stabilizer trim in response to flap location maintaining an essentially constant angle of attack.
Inventors
- 👤 James Alfred Boyle
- 👤 Peteris Adams Galins
- 👤 Mark Charles Gregoire
- 👤 Peter L. M. O'Toole
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 08:09
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/04; G05D1/06; G05D1/0607; G05D1/0653
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A device for controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off comprising: means for automatically retracting flaps in response to a sensed predetermined airspeed after stowing landing gear, said means comprising: means for comparing a voltage proportional to a preselected airspeed with a voltage proportional to airspeed from a central air data computer to impart a command voltage, and means for retracting the flaps upon the command voltage being received by the servo-amplifier, wherein the means for retracting the flaps in response to command voltage being received by the servo-amplifier comprises: a transfer valve controlled by the servo-amplifier, and a hydraulic motor driven by hydraulic fluid from the transfer valve; and means for determining and for indicating airplane position over a predetermined ground location at which point engine thrust is cut back to reduce the noise of climb-out.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
139 words
A device for controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off comprising: means for automatically retracting flaps in response to a sensed predetermined airspeed after stowing landing gear, said means comprising: means for comparing a voltage proportional to a preselected airspeed with a voltage proportional to airspeed from a central air data computer to impart a command voltage, and means for retracting the flaps upon the command voltage being received by the servo-amplifier, wherein the means for retracting the flaps in response to command voltage being received by the servo-amplifier comprises: a transfer valve controlled by the servo-amplifier, and a hydraulic motor driven by hydraulic fluid from the transfer valve; and means for determining and for indicating airplane position over a predetermined ground location at which point engine thrust is cut back to reduce the noise of climb-out.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
82 words
A device for controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off comprising: means for automatically retracting flaps in response to a sensed predetermined airspeed after stowing landing gear; and means for determining and for indicating airplane position over a predetermined ground location at which point engine thrust is cut back to reduce the noise of climb-out wherein the means for determining and indicating airplane position comprises: means by which distance from point of departure is obtained from an Inertial Navigation System.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
82 words
A device for controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off comprising: means for automatically retracting flaps in response to a sensed predetermined airspeed after stowing landing gear; and means for determining and for indicating airplane position over a predetermined ground location at which point engine thrust is cut back to reduce the noise of climb-out wherein the means for determining and indicating airplane position comprises: means by which distance from point of departure is obtained from an Inertial Navigation System.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
84 words
A device for controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off comprising: means for automatically retracting flaps in response to a sensed predetermined airspeed after stowing landing gear; and means for determining and for indicating airplane position over a predetermined ground location at which point engine thrust is cut back to reduce the noise of climb-out wherein the means for determining and indicating airplane position comprises: means by which distance from an airport is determined by use of onboard Distance Measuring Equipment receivers.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
84 words
A device for controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off comprising: means for automatically retracting flaps in response to a sensed predetermined airspeed after stowing landing gear; and means for determining and for indicating airplane position over a predetermined ground location at which point engine thrust is cut back to reduce the noise of climb-out wherein the means for determining and indicating airplane position comprises: means by which distance from an airport is determined by use of onboard Distance Measuring Equipment receivers.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
138 words
A device for controlling an airplane flight pattern during take-off comprising: means for imparting a landing gear up signal; means for comparing a voltage proportional to airspeed from a central air data computer with a voltage proportional to a preselected airspeed to impart a command voltage; a combination of a servo amplifier, a transfer valve, and a hydraulic motor activated to retract flaps upon receiving the command voltage and the gear up signal; means for twice integrating a proportional voltage from an autothrottle accelerometer, means for comparing the integrated proportional voltage with a voltage proportional to a preselected distance from a take-off starting point to generate a command voltage; an amplifier for the generated command voltage and a signaling device to notify an operator that the preselected position has been reached at which engines may be cut back.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
138 words
A device for controlling an airplane flight pattern during take-off comprising: means for imparting a landing gear up signal; means for comparing a voltage proportional to airspeed from a central air data computer with a voltage proportional to a preselected airspeed to impart a command voltage; a combination of a servo amplifier, a transfer valve, and a hydraulic motor activated to retract flaps upon receiving the command voltage and the gear up signal; means for twice integrating a proportional voltage from an autothrottle accelerometer, means for comparing the integrated proportional voltage with a voltage proportional to a preselected distance from a take-off starting point to generate a command voltage; an amplifier for the generated command voltage and a signaling device to notify an operator that the preselected position has been reached at which engines may be cut back.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
88 words
An arrangement for automatically controlling a decelerating approach of an airplane comprising: means for generating a continuing flap command signal, over a preselected glide-slope portion of an approach, as a function of distance from touchdown; means for translating the flap command signal into a power source to extend the flaps over the selected interval; means for sensing flap position; and means for automatically reducing thrust to a preselected level and for automatically trimming a stabilizer in response to flap position to maintain an essentially constant angle of attack.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
88 words
An arrangement for automatically controlling a decelerating approach of an airplane comprising: means for generating a continuing flap command signal, over a preselected glide-slope portion of an approach, as a function of distance from touchdown; means for translating the flap command signal into a power source to extend the flaps over the selected interval; means for sensing flap position; and means for automatically reducing thrust to a preselected level and for automatically trimming a stabilizer in response to flap position to maintain an essentially constant angle of attack.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
An arrangement as in claim 5 wherein the means for generating a flap command comprises: means for continually determining distance from touchdown, and a function generator for converting the determined distance into the flap command signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
An arrangement as in claim 6 wherein distance is measured as horizontal distance to touchdown.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
An arrangement as in claim 6 wherein distance is measured as vertical distance to touchdown.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
An arrangement as in claim 5 wherein the means for automatically reducing thrust comprises: a function generator to convert sensed flap position into a speed differential signal; a comparator to compare the speed differential signal with a preselected final speed signal to impart an auto-throttle command signal to the engines.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
74 words
An arrangement as in claim 9 wherein the means for trimming the stabilizer comprises: a function generator to continually convert the sensed flap position into a trim signal; a multiplier to multiply the trim signal with a signal indicating a bias modified stabilizer position at the start of the preselected portion of the approach to give a trim command signal; and a trim motor acted on by the trim command to actuate the stabilizers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
An arrangement as in claim 10 further comprising: means for imparting a thrust moment compensation signal from the thrust control auto-throttle to modify the trim command signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
177 words
An arrangement for automatically controlling a decelerating approach of an airplane comprising: means for continually determining distance from touchdown, means for converting a determined distance into a flap command signal, means for translating the flap command signal into a power source to extend the flaps, means for sensing flap position, means for converting sensed flap position into a speed differential signal, means for adding the speed differential signal to the preselected final speed signal to obtain a speed command signal; means for comparing the speed command signal with a signal proportional to airspeed to generate a speed reducing signal; an auto-throttle to transmit the signal to reduce the thrust of the engines, means for converting sensed flap position into a trim differential signal; means for generating a signal based on stabilizer position at the start of the decelerating approach as modified by a bias signal; means for summing the modified stabilizer initial position signal with the trim differential signal to obtain an automatic trim command signal; and means for utilizing the command signal to actuate the stabilizer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
177 words
An arrangement for automatically controlling a decelerating approach of an airplane comprising: means for continually determining distance from touchdown, means for converting a determined distance into a flap command signal, means for translating the flap command signal into a power source to extend the flaps, means for sensing flap position, means for converting sensed flap position into a speed differential signal, means for adding the speed differential signal to the preselected final speed signal to obtain a speed command signal; means for comparing the speed command signal with a signal proportional to airspeed to generate a speed reducing signal; an auto-throttle to transmit the signal to reduce the thrust of the engines, means for converting sensed flap position into a trim differential signal; means for generating a signal based on stabilizer position at the start of the decelerating approach as modified by a bias signal; means for summing the modified stabilizer initial position signal with the trim differential signal to obtain an automatic trim command signal; and means for utilizing the command signal to actuate the stabilizer.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
175 words
A method of controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off and approach modes, the steps comprising: extending the flaps for take-off; entering a predetermined speed in a control panel; engaging an automatic flap mode to compare actual speed with the predetermined speed to retract the flaps with landing gear stowed and predetermined speed reached; arming an automatic signalling device to indicate reaching a preselected distance from the start of the take-off; cutting back on the throttle, during climbout, upon receiving the distance signal; selecting a distance interval from touchdown for a decelerating approach during the approach mode; arming the automatic flap control to extend the flaps in response to distance from touchdown; entering a predetermined lower limit of speed for the end of the decelerating approach; arming the automatic decelerating throttle controls to reduce thrust in response to sensed flap position; entering a bias to stabilizer position at point of initial deceleration, and arming an automatic trim control system to respond to sensed flap position in combination with bias modified initial stabilizer position.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
175 words
A method of controlling a flight pattern of an aircraft during take-off and approach modes, the steps comprising: extending the flaps for take-off; entering a predetermined speed in a control panel; engaging an automatic flap mode to compare actual speed with the predetermined speed to retract the flaps with landing gear stowed and predetermined speed reached; arming an automatic signalling device to indicate reaching a preselected distance from the start of the take-off; cutting back on the throttle, during climbout, upon receiving the distance signal; selecting a distance interval from touchdown for a decelerating approach during the approach mode; arming the automatic flap control to extend the flaps in response to distance from touchdown; entering a predetermined lower limit of speed for the end of the decelerating approach; arming the automatic decelerating throttle controls to reduce thrust in response to sensed flap position; entering a bias to stabilizer position at point of initial deceleration, and arming an automatic trim control system to respond to sensed flap position in combination with bias modified initial stabilizer position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-08-15 | 1981-02-14 | 1981-08-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-08-15 | 1985-02-14 | 1985-08-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-08-15 | 1989-02-14 | 1989-08-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |