Control system for aircraft

• US 4,514,733 A
• Filed: 02/19/1982
• Issued: 04/30/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1976
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke
• Original Assignee: Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke
• Inventors: Lerche, Horst-Dieter, Schmidtlein, Hubertus
• Primary Examiner(s): BUCZINSKI, STEPHEN C
• Application Number:
  US06/350,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 343/5 MM, 343/7 TA, 364/456
• US Class Current: 342/64
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/343 comparing observed and stored data of target position or of distinctive marks along the path towards the target
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/107 specially adapted for missiles

Abstract

A terrain-contour-matching guidance method is disclosed in which topographic reference data are made to include the same systematic errors which altitude measurement of an unmanned flight is expected to produce. Speed/course and general flight path tracking is operated on a higher resolution.

Claims

1. A method of automatically navigating an aircraft across a particular territory on the basis of topographical reference data to be compared with actual topographical data acquired by the aircraft during overflight across the particular territory, comprising the steps of:

acquiring prior to said overflight topographic reference data under conditions which include systematic errors introduced by a specific altitute measuring device, the reference data used are regular topographic data, and the systematic errors are introduced by providing terrain-specific corrective data by means of said specific altitude-measuring device;

acquiring the actual topographic position data under utilization of the same type of specific altitude-measuring device which introduces similar errors; and

using these reference data together with the topographic position data to obtain said comparison, including correcting the reference data by introducing systematic errors on the basis of the corrective data.