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Determining a profile for an aircraft prior to flight using a fuel vector and uncertainty bands

  • US 9,361,486 B2
  • Filed: 11/25/2013
  • Issued: 06/07/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:

  • determining, by at least one processor, a weight and center-of-gravity profile for an aircraft prior to flight, the determining of the profile comprising determining a respective uncertainty band for each of a plurality of points along a fuel vector for the flight, wherein the fuel vector is based on fuel consumption of the aircraft during flight, and each uncertainty band is determined based on physical characteristics of the aircraft as loaded for the flight, and wherein each respective uncertainty band is based on a sum of forward allowances and a sum of aft allowances, each of the forward allowances and each of the aft allowances determined as an allowance for a respective physical characteristic of the aircraft due to a load as calculated by a shift in distance associated with the physical characteristic multiplied by a corresponding weight for the physical characteristic;

    as the aircraft is being loaded for flight, receiving data for a physical characteristic;

    updating the respective uncertainty band for at least one of the points along the fuel vector based on the received data;

    comparing, by the at least one processor, for each respective point of the points along the fuel vector, the profile to a flight limit;

    displaying, for a user, available margins for the profile relative to the flight limit;

    determining, by the at least one processor, based on the comparing whether the profile is suitable for flight of the aircraft; and

    providing, by the at least one processor, an indication for the user that the profile is suitable, wherein the indication for the user is provided by causing a presentation in a user interface on a display.

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