FLIGHT CONTROL COCKPIT MODES IN DUCTED FAN VTOL VEHICLES
First Claim
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1. A ducted fan VTOL vehicle comprising:
- a thrust-generating system of plural controlled ducted air movement units having controlled propellers or fans located within respective ducts and having means capable of generating independent forces and moments in any of six fundamental degrees of freedom while operating within at least some part of a flight envelope, said six degrees of freedom comprising linear movements of the vehicle Vx, Vy, Vz and angular movements of the vehicle ω
x, ω
y, ω
z along the axes x, y, z wherein each movement may be independently controlled;
a system of pilot initiated input transducers M1-Mn coupled to pilot initiated control actuators accessible to a pilot'"'"'s position in the vehicle and producing controlled outputs corresponding to pilot initiated inputs, at least some of said transducers M1-Mn being coupled to primary pilot initiated flight control actuators, said primary pilot initiated flight control actuators being those actuators that, if active, require substantially continuous pilot attention and control inputs for maintaining primary control of vehicular movement;
autopilot and flight control systems configured to provide output flight control signals controlling physical parameters of the thrust-generating system in response to input signals;
said control systems being connected to said system of pilot initiated input transducers and adapted to control physical parameters of the thrust-generating system in response to outputs of selected ones of the pilot initiated input transducers and in response to additional vehicle transducers;
wherein said control systems are configured, while operating in said at least some part of a flight envelope, to utilize four or less primary pilot initiated flight control actuators for primary control of the vehicle while also automatically controlling all said six independent degree(s) of freedom in vehicular movement.
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Abstract
A flight control system for aircraft, such as for a vehicle with a ducted fan propulsion system which also produces rotary moments and side forces for control purposes. The flight control system of the present invention is designed in a manner that will ensure the safety of the vehicle in event of a malfunction in any one of its channels and enable the flight to continue down to a safe landing.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A ducted fan VTOL vehicle comprising:
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a thrust-generating system of plural controlled ducted air movement units having controlled propellers or fans located within respective ducts and having means capable of generating independent forces and moments in any of six fundamental degrees of freedom while operating within at least some part of a flight envelope, said six degrees of freedom comprising linear movements of the vehicle Vx, Vy, Vz and angular movements of the vehicle ω
x, ω
y, ω
z along the axes x, y, z wherein each movement may be independently controlled;a system of pilot initiated input transducers M1-Mn coupled to pilot initiated control actuators accessible to a pilot'"'"'s position in the vehicle and producing controlled outputs corresponding to pilot initiated inputs, at least some of said transducers M1-Mn being coupled to primary pilot initiated flight control actuators, said primary pilot initiated flight control actuators being those actuators that, if active, require substantially continuous pilot attention and control inputs for maintaining primary control of vehicular movement; autopilot and flight control systems configured to provide output flight control signals controlling physical parameters of the thrust-generating system in response to input signals; said control systems being connected to said system of pilot initiated input transducers and adapted to control physical parameters of the thrust-generating system in response to outputs of selected ones of the pilot initiated input transducers and in response to additional vehicle transducers; wherein said control systems are configured, while operating in said at least some part of a flight envelope, to utilize four or less primary pilot initiated flight control actuators for primary control of the vehicle while also automatically controlling all said six independent degree(s) of freedom in vehicular movement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A flight control system for a VTOL vehicle having at least two lift fans with adjustable-pitch propellers, and at least two thrust fans with adjustable pitch propellers, and a plurality of adjustable directional vanes and associated with each of said lift and thrust fans;
- the control system comprising;
a. plural controls respectively controlling six independent degrees of freedom of vehicular movement; and b. at least one control computer subsystem programmed to adjust said directional vanes and to control the pitch of said propellers of said lift and thrust fans to enable the VTOL vehicle to hover at a non-zero roll or pitch angle. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
- the control system comprising;
Specification