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System and method for computing MACH number and true airspeed

  • US 9,096,330 B2
  • Filed: 12/15/2014
  • Issued: 08/04/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for determining at least one of a first true airspeed or a first Mach number of an aircraft in flight, comprising:

  • sensing an air velocity and a first altitude by a pitot static sensor;

    providing at least one of a second true airspeed and a second Mach number by an air data computer coupled to the pitot static sensor and in response to the air velocity and the first altitude;

    storing within a storage medium standard atmospheric data, thrust data, wing surface area, and a coefficient of lift for the aircraft;

    determining by a flight management system a load factor and a weight of the aircraft;

    determining a second altitude by an altitude sensor;

    determining an angle of attack by a sensor on the aircraft;

    sensing a temperature of the air adjacent the aircraft;

    determining, from the group consisting of the standard atmospheric data, the thrust data, the wing surface area, the coefficient of lift, the load factor, the weight, the second altitude, the temperature, and the angle of attack, at least one of the first true airspeed or first Mach number, by a processor coupled to the storage medium, the flight management system, the altitude sensor, and the temperature sensor;

    determining a difference between one of the first true airspeed and the second true airspeed, or the first Mach number and the second Mach number;

    determining at least one of the second true airspeed and the second Mach number as valid when the difference does not exceed a threshold; and

    determining at least one of the first true airspeed and the first Mach number as valid when the difference exceeds the threshold.

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