Airspeed and relative direction indicator
First Claim
1. An apparatus for installation in an aircraft for providing a single visual display of the direction of airflow relative to the fore and aft axis of the aircraft and also the speed of airflow relative to a sensor mounted at a desired location comprising a face panel fixed in the aircraft including an annular array of first indicia indicating increasing relative airflow speed in clockwise direction from a zero reference point on a desired axis of the face panel, a first pointer needle rotatably mounted relative to the face panel for association with said first indicia, means coupling the sensor to the first pointer needle to rotate the first pointer needle in response to measured airflow speed values relative to said face panel and said first indicia, a second pointer needle rotatably mounted with respect to the face panel, about a substantially central axis on the face panel, means responsive to sensed airflow at the sensor and coupled to the second pointer needle to rotate the second pointer needle to indicate relative direction of airflow at said sensor with respect to the aircraft fore and aft axis, and second indicia representing a known aircraft configuration fixed on said face panel and separately identifiable from said annular array of first indicia and associated with said second pointer needle, said second indicia being oriented so the known aircraft configuration fore and aft axis corresponds to the fore and aft axis on the aircraft in which the face panel is mounted, and the zero reference point for the first indicia is aligned with the leading end of the known aircraft configuration to provide direct indication of the relative direction of airflow with respect to the known aircraft configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A meter face arrangement for use with a cross wind sensor that provides information indicating relative airspeed with respect to a probe, and also the direction of the relative wind, which permits an operator of an aircraft such as a helicopter pilot or an operator of a levitated vehicle or an observer in a ground installation to determine the relative movement of the air and also the relative direction of movement. The meter face is made so that the indicator will visually provide the direction and speed information from a single meter location using standard indicating hands to prevent confusion of the user.
14 Citations
2 Claims
- 1. An apparatus for installation in an aircraft for providing a single visual display of the direction of airflow relative to the fore and aft axis of the aircraft and also the speed of airflow relative to a sensor mounted at a desired location comprising a face panel fixed in the aircraft including an annular array of first indicia indicating increasing relative airflow speed in clockwise direction from a zero reference point on a desired axis of the face panel, a first pointer needle rotatably mounted relative to the face panel for association with said first indicia, means coupling the sensor to the first pointer needle to rotate the first pointer needle in response to measured airflow speed values relative to said face panel and said first indicia, a second pointer needle rotatably mounted with respect to the face panel, about a substantially central axis on the face panel, means responsive to sensed airflow at the sensor and coupled to the second pointer needle to rotate the second pointer needle to indicate relative direction of airflow at said sensor with respect to the aircraft fore and aft axis, and second indicia representing a known aircraft configuration fixed on said face panel and separately identifiable from said annular array of first indicia and associated with said second pointer needle, said second indicia being oriented so the known aircraft configuration fore and aft axis corresponds to the fore and aft axis on the aircraft in which the face panel is mounted, and the zero reference point for the first indicia is aligned with the leading end of the known aircraft configuration to provide direct indication of the relative direction of airflow with respect to the known aircraft configuration.
Specification