Aircraft center of gravity and fuel level advisory system

• US 4,622,639 A
• Filed: 12/16/1983
• Issued: 11/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Adelson, Richard L., Nusbaum, Franklin D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/562,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 364/463, 364/466, 364/567, 364/442, 340/945, 340/666, 235/61 T, 73/65, 177/25
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/127 during the flight
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability

Abstract

An aircraft center of gravity and fuel level advisory system connected to the aircraft'"'"'s fuel tank gauges and operated by an aircraft personnel. The system provides the aircraft'"'"'s personnel with real time display of the aircraft'"'"'s center of gravity and a signal when forward and aft center of gravity limits are approached. The system provides a means for a crew member to select a fuel level for a tank or set of tanks and when the actual fuel level approaches the selected value, the system will alert the crew member.

Claims

1. An aircraft center of gravity and fuel level advisory system for fixed wing aircraft connected to the aircraft'"'"'s fuel gauges and operated by one of the aircraft'"'"'s personnel, the system comprising:

a control panel processor unit connected to the aircraft'"'"'s power source and fuel gauges, the processor unit including a computer and memory for storing and calculating aircraft weight, center of gravity, fuel consumption and transfer, the weight and center of gravity shift of internal and external payload items as they are expended during flight;

a keyboard mounted on the processor unit and connected thereto, the keyboard having a power on/off switch and a fuel level switch; and

a remote display unit connected to the processor unit, the display unit displaying the aircraft'"'"'s center of gravity when the fuel level switch is activated, the center of gravity display designed to alert the aircraft personnel of the center of gravity change as the fuel load changes and when a load is released from the aircraft during flight and when a center of gravity limit is being approached.

2. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the display unit visually flashes for alerting the aircraft personnel when the center of gravity limit is being approached.

3. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the display unit further displays a number of external loads which can be released without exceeding the aircraft'"'"'s center of gravity limit.

4. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the display unit further displays a wing tank which has a lower fuel quantity relative to its opposite wing tank.

5. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the display unit further displays a code for a certain aircraft fuel tank and it'"'"'s fuel weight.

6. The system as described in claim 5 wherein the display unit further displays a fuel differential between the actual fuel level in the fuel tank and a selected burn down to fuel level.

7. An aircraft center of gravity and fuel level advisory system connected to the aircraft'"'"'s for fixed wing aircraft fuel gauges and operated by one of the aircraft'"'"'s personnel, the system comprising:

a control panel processor unit connected to the aircraft'"'"'s power source and fuel gauges, the processor unit including a computer and memory for storing and calculating aircraft weight, center of gravity, fuel consumption and transfer, the weight and center of gravity shift of internal and external payload items as they are expended;

a keyboard mounted on the processor unit and connected thereto, the keyboard having a power on/off switch, a fuel level switch and a load switch; and

a remote display unit connected to the processor unit, the display unit displaying the aircraft'"'"'s center of gravity when the fuel level switch is activated, the center of gravity display designed to alert the aircraft personnel of the center of gravity change as the fuel load changes and when a load is released from the aircraft during flight and when a center of gravity limit is being approached, the display unit further displaying the number and placement of external loads and internal loads on the aircraft when the load switch is activated.

8. The system as described in claim 7 wherein the display unit indicates the number of the external loads that can be released without exceeding the center of gravity limit of the aircraft.

9. The system as described in claim 7 wherein the keyboard further includes a weight switch, the weight switch when activated displaying on the display unit the aircraft'"'"'s gross weight, total weight of fuel and individual fuel tank weights.

10. An aircraft center of gravity and fuel level advisory system for fixed wing aircraft connected to the aircraft'"'"'s fuel gauges and operated by one of the aircraft'"'"'s personnel, the system comprising:

a control panel processor unit connected to the aircraft'"'"'s power source and fuel gauges, the processor unit including a computer and memory for storing and calculating aircraft weight, center of gravity, fuel consumption and transfer, the weight and center of gravity shift of internal and external payload items as they are expended;

a keyboard mounted on the processor unit and connected thereto, the keyboard having a power on/off switch, a fuel level switch, a load switch and a weight switch; and

a remote display unit connected to the processor, the display unit including;

display of the aircraft'"'"'s center of gravity when the fuel switch is activated, the center of gravity display designed to alert aircraft personnel of the center of gravity change as the fuel load changes and when a load is released from the aircraft during flight and visually flashes when a center of gravity limit is being approached;

display of the number of external and internal loads which can be released without exceeding the aircraft'"'"'s center of gravity limit when the fuel level switch is activated;

display of a fuel tank code, fuel level and fuel differential between the actual fuel level and a selected burn down to fuel level when the fuel level switch is activated;

display of a wing tank code with a non-symetrical fuel quantity relative to its opposite wing tank code when the fuel level switch is activated;

display of the number and placement of external and internal loads on the aircraft and their location on the aircraft when the load switch is activated; and

display of the gross weight of the aircraft, the total fuel weight of the aircraft and individual fuel tank weight when the weight switch is activated.

11. The system as described in claim 10 wherein the keyboard includes a plurality of data entry keys so that the aircraft personnel can continually update data to the control panel processor unit and remote display unit such as actual aircraft operating weight and operating weight center of gravity, external and internal load weight, load location, types of loads, change of load status, change in burn down to fuel level value.