Ein Schaltstellungssensor mit optischem Abgriff zum Abgreifen der Stellung eines in diskrete Stellungen schaltbaren Steuergliedes enthält eine Anordnung von optischen Sendern (10,12,14,16, 18), die von Frequenzgeneratoren (20,22,24,26,28) mit unterschiedlichen Frequenzen gespeist werden. Es sind lichtempfangende Mittel (32) und Mittel zur Erzeugung einer Relativbewegung zwischen den lichtempfangenden Mitteln (32) und den optischen Sendern (10,12,14,16,18) in Abhängigkeit von der Schaltbewegung des Steuergliedes (30) vorgesehen derart, daß bei jeder der diskreten Stellungen des Steuergliedes (30) die lichtempfangenden Mittel (32) von genau einem der optischen Sender (10,12,14,16,18) belichtet sind.

A device for yawing moment control in aircraft with a slender nose at high angles of attack in the range of 20°-80°, most importantly 35°-70°, at speeds especially up to Mach 0.5, for elimination of stochastically arising asymmetrical body nose air vortices, characterized by ports arranged at both sides of the nose, which ports are mutually so connected that a pressure difference between the two sides produced by the symmetrical body nose air vortices is equalized. The device causes self-stabilizing of an aircraft at an oblique relative wind angle of up to about 5° and a restoring yaw moment within the range of about 5°-12°.

A device for control in yaw of an aircraft with a slender nose (3), especially for supersonic speed at high angles of attack, at speeds especially up to Mach 0.5, distinguished in that ports (5, 6) are arranged in both sides of the nose portion of the aircraft, spaced from its plane of symmetry, with the ports so arranged with controllably variable position in the two sides of the nose portion that at least one port in one side, standing in flow connec­tion with at least one port in the other side, causes such an asymmetrical discharge of body nose air vortices from the sides that by reason of the thus-arising pressure difference between the two sides a controllable yaw moment is obtained.

A superagile tactical fighter aircraft has articulatable air inlets (13), articulatable exhaust nozzles (14), highly deflectable canard surfaces (19), and control thruster jets (22) located around the nose (11) of the fuselage, on the top and bottom surfaces of the propulsion system near the exhaust nozzles, and on both sides of at least one vertical tail (20). The superagile aircraft attains supernormal flight by articulating the air inlets and exhaust nozzles, deflecting the canard surfaces, and vectoring the thruster jets. Supernormal flight may be defined as flight at which the superagile aircraft operates at an angle of attack much greater than the angle of attack which produces maximum lift. In supernormal flight, the superagile aircraft is capable of almost vertical ascents, sharp turns, and very steep descents without losing control.

Wind tunnel data for a three control surface aircraft (10) is developed for lift, pitching moment, and drag coefficient characteristics. This data is then input into a Lagrange optimization program to determine a unique combination of canard, flap, (18) and strake flap (20) positions that trimmed the pitching moment coefficient to zero and provided the minimum drag coefficient as a function of lift coefficient and/or angle of attack, Mach number, and altitude. This program is exercised over the entire Mach number, altitude, and angle of attack range of the aircraft. The output from the Lagrange optimization program are then tabulated and loaded into the memory of a digital flight control computer (34) of an aircraft. As the aircraft flies, the angle of attack sensor (26), air data sensor and altimeter (32), determine the angle of attack, Mach number and altitude of the aircraft. By means of the computer, the position of the control surfaces are changed to the predetermined settings of the look-up table for minimum drag.

A fluid actuator characterized by a feedback mechanism (60) for indicating actuator position. The feedback mechanism is driven by the actuator screw shaft (91, whereby the movements of the feedback mechanism are proportional to the rate and position of the actuator movements. The feedback mechanism and actuator (1) movements may be synchronized so that the extreme end positions of the feedback mechanism will correspond to the fully retracted and extended positions of the actuator. A stroke limiting mechanism (85) may also be provided for preventing the actuator from overstroking the feedback mechanism in the event that they are not properly synchronized.

A fluid actuator characterized by a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) feedback mechanism (30) driven off the actuator screw shaft (7) for indicating actuator position. A protective clutch mechanism (40) prevents possible damage to the LVDT (31) or actuator (1) in the event that the actuator stroke exceeds the design stroke of the LVDT.

An aircraft system interface has a center pedestal (49) and a touchscreen display (51) carried by the center pedestal (49). The interface has one or more programs including instructions for displaying a virtual input device, instructions for detecting movement of an object on or near the touchscreen display (51), and instructions for rotating the virtual input device displayed on the touchscreen display (51) in response to detecting the movement.

An actuator system (100) for controlling a flight surface (24, 26) of an aircraft (10) includes a first actuator (200; 300) having a first actuator input (204; 310) and a first linear translation element (208; 304) that moves based on rotational motion received at the first actuator input (204; 310) and a first sensor (212; 308) coupled to the first linear translation element (208; 304) that generates a first output based on a displacement of the first linear translation element (208; 304). The system also includes a second actuator (202; 300) having a second actuator input (206; 310) and a second linear translation element (210; 304) that moves based on rotational motion received at the second actuator input (206; 310) and a second sensor (214; 308) coupled to the second linear translation element (210; 304) that generates a second output based on a displacement of the second linear translation element (210; 304). The system also includes a control unit (102) that receives the first and second outputs and determines if an error condition exists for the system based on first and second output.

The disclosure relates generally to flight control systems, and more specifically to an aircraft flight control system for allowing an augmentation system to have higher authorities, for example up to full authority, on an aircraft that has a mechanical flight control system. Embodiments include a flight control system for an aircraft, comprising: a first actuator; a first flight control computer having a first processor and a second processor for commanding the first actuator, wherein the first actuator compares commands from the first processor to commands from the second processor to find a first failure; a second actuator; and a second flight control computer having a first processor and a second processor for commanding the second actuator, wherein the second actuator compares commands from the first processor to commands from the second processor to find a second failure.

A shock absorber assembly is configured to be operatively connected to a drive shaft of a power drive unit (PDU) of an aircraft. The shock absorber assembly may include a first hub, a second hub, and a bull gear having at least a portion sandwiched between the first and second hubs. The bull gear is configured to rotate independently of the first and second hubs a controlled distance in response to a mechanical malfunction of the PDU. (Fig. 2)

A method for adjusting the play in a high-lift system (2) of an aircraft with several flaps (18), which may be moved by a drive unit with the aid of driving stations (12) that are connected to a driveshaft, comprises the steps of disengaging the mechanical connections between the driveshaft and the driving stations (12) in the first position, displacing the individual drive levers (30) in the direction of an extended position by mechanically driving a gear input of the associated rotary actuator (16) such that the individual drive levers (30) come into mechanical contact with a stop in a second position, which is spaced apart from the first position in the extending direction, and are pretensioned by means of a certain torque, rotationally fixing the gear inputs of the rotary actuators (16), adapting the length of connecting links (32) between the respective drive levers (30) and a support arm (34) carrying the associated flap (18) in such a way that a position of the associated flap (18) corresponding to the position of the stop is reached, and reconnecting the driving stations to the driveshaft that is also pretensioned such that it has no play.