Abstract: A sensor which is installed in a waste tank to determine when the tank is full includes a shroud having a body with a curved surface and a leading edge which is mounted flushly to the inner surface of the tank wall and a trailing edge which is spaced apart from the sensor face. As waste material is swirled about the inside surface of the tank wall, the shroud causes the waste material to be transported above the sensor face without disrupting the flow of the waste material along the tank wall. The cover is sized and configured appropriately to allow convenient rinsing when the waste tank is emptied.

Abstract: One method of forming a workpiece made of thermoformable material includes the steps of: (a) supporting a raw workpiece on a suspension tray; (b) moving a pair of relatively hot forming dies into position above the workpiece; (c) closing the hot forming dies against the workpiece to heat the workpiece and to form and shape the workpiece into the desired configuration; (d) opening the hot forming dies and removing the hot forming dies away from the workpiece; (e) moving a pair of relatively cold forming dies into position above and below the workpiece; (f) closing the cold forming dies against the workpiece to cool the workpiece while maintaining the workpiece in the desired configuration; and, (g) opening the cold forming dies and removing the finished workpiece form the suspension tray. Other methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A throttle controller includes a manual mode where engine output is a function of throttle lever angle, and an alternatively selectable Speed Hold/Thrust Hold mode which is initiated when the throttle is placed in a center Hold position. Throttle operation during the Speed Hold mode is governed by (i) a selected speed entered at a mode control panel, or (ii) a speed existing when the lever was placed in the Hold detent, given that no speed is entered and selected at that mode control panel or (iii) a selected speed/thrust designated in a flight plan entered into the aircraft's flight management computer. During the Thrust Hold mode, the throttle controller maintains the level of thrust which existed when the throttle lever was placed in the Hold detent. When out of the Hold detent, the controller operates to control output thrust as a function of Throttle Lever Angle (TLA).

Abstract: A controller for apportioning high amplitude and low amplitude control signals between two aircraft control surfaces, such as for example, between an elevator and an associated movable horizontal stabilizer. The signals are separated along a first path and a second path. Signals along the first path are fed to a low pass filter where the low frequency signals are separated and an elevator position error signal is generated. Those signals exceeding a predetermined elevator position error are fed in the form of stabilizer rate signals to a stabilizer position module where a stabilizer positioning signal is generated and then fed to a stabilizer servo system to reposition the horizontal stabilizer. The stabilizer positioning signal is also fed to a multiplier where it is multiplied by a predetermined pitch effectiveness ratio representing the amount of elevator deflection required to achieve the same pitch moment as one degree of stabilizer deflection.

Abstract: A pair of cold air driven tubines are mounted in-line with each turbine driving one of two coaxial drive shafts. Each drive shaft is independently supported and separate drive air is supplied to each turbine such that the direction and speed of rotation of each drive shaft is independently controlled. Exhaust air from the forward turbine vents through an exhaust cavity that surrounds the aft turbine. Inlet drive air to the aft turbine is supplied via air ducts formed through the center of struts which extend radially from the inlet of the aft turbine, through the exhaust cavity and to an inlet port external to the turbine housing.

Abstract: A pair of specially reinforced skin-spar joints in combination with a honeycomb core are used to build up a wing spar for a composite airplane wing. A series of contoured mandrels with a covering of fuel resistant material and a wrapped reinforced plastic are aligned one above the other. The wing spar materials are placed between the mandrels, honeycomb core is located alongside as well as wing skins to form a wing buildup. The buildup is placed in a mold, pressure applied to each mandrel forcing all the parts together, and the buildup heated to cure the resins and form a composite wing structure.

Abstract: A tube checking system is made up of a template placed on a flat metallic surface, and a series of adjustable holding fixtures places at selected positions along the template. The template has a computer aided layout of a plan view of a formed tube inscribed on a film with selected check points along the layout showing the height and angle of the tubing above the check point. Each holding fixture is adjustable as to height and angle, is indexed to align to the check point, and has a switchable on off magnet in the base to secure the fixture in position.

Abstract: A power line monitor capable of monitoring multiple power lines simultaneously includes a channel circuit for each monitored line, a common logic circuit and control logic. The signal on each power line is analog-to-digital converted and stored in channel circuit memory. A trigger detector produces a trigger detect signal in response to the monitored signal exceeding a preset limit. The trigger detect signal initiates a delay time during which the conversion and storing process in the triggered channel continues. The delay time is selected such that a desired amount of both pre- and post trigger data is retained in the associated channel memory. The control logic is operable in either a manual or an automatic mode. In the manual mode, memory stored data in a triggered channel is repetitively cycled to a digital-to-analog converter provided in the common logic, whereby an operator can monitor the stored waveform and, if desired, load the channel memory contents to magnetic tape.

Abstract: Switches, manually operable to produce a desired logic signal level, are user assigned to represent the various variable inputs to a Boolean network. Indicators are user assigned to represent the logic state of outputs from the network. Process logic is user programmable to define the Boolean and sequential logic relationships between the assigned inputs and outputs. A visual display identifies to a user the input variable assigned to each switch and the logic output assigned to each indicator.A user may analyze the operation of the Boolean network being emulated by monitoring output indicator status in response to logic level inputs selected by the switches.

Abstract: An inboard wing trailing edge flap of an aircraft has a flap carriage mechanism located within the fuselage or a fuselage/wing fairing structure, and the flap is attached to the carriage by a torque tube which penetrates the side of the fuselage. A slot is required in the fuselage through which the torque tube can travel as the flap is extended and retracted. The slot is covered when the flap is fully retracted, but when the flap is fully extended, airflow through the slot toward the upper surface of the flap causes the flap to lose lift. Therefore, airflow blocker doors are provided for closure of the slot when the flap is fully extended. The doors are held in a closed position by a pressure differential across the slot and by spring-loaded hinges; and the doors are adapted to be opened by engagement of a ramp cam member mounted to the flap torque tube, as the flap is retracted.

Abstract: An optical inspection device for measuring the squareness of tube cuts. The optical inspection apparatus includes a tube guide for permitting rotation of the tube whereby its end wall thickness is positioned in the path of a light beam whose output end is magnified and projected on a viewing screen. Variations in the squareness of the tube end may be visually inspected by an operator on the viewing screen.

Abstract: A shaped support beam is joined to and extends laterally across a landing gear door to provide support and to hold a retracted airplane landing gear in position when the landing gear door is closed. Pivotable linkage, extending between airplane structure and the shaped support beam, press against the landing gear to hold the gear in the retracted position with the door latched, and to be pressed against to move an unlatched door aside to permit extension of the landing gear into operating position.

Abstract: A pair of specially reinforced skin-spar joints in combination with a honeycomb core are used to build up a wing spar for a composite airplane wing. A series of contoured mandrels with a covering of fuel resistant material and a wrapped reinforced plastic are aligned one above the other. The wing spar materials are placed between the mandrels, honeycomb core is located alongside as well as wing skins to form a wing buildup. The buildup is placed in a mold, pressure applied to each mandrel forcing all the parts together, and the buildup heated to cure the resins and form a composite wing structure.

Abstract: A system for measuring the cladding thickness on aluminum sheets which includes a cylindrical probe holder with four evenly spaced contact points surrounding a low temperature coefficient torroidal ferrite core which provides a signal to an aluminum cladding thickness signal processing circuit comprising a crystal oscillator, low drift detector, and push button calibration instrument portion thereby enabling drift free repeatable measurements.

Abstract: A four bar linkage, between a hinge carriage segment and a translating door segment, of an outward opening overhead rotation plug type aircraft door, defines the relative movement between the two segments. A door handle actuates linkages that extend between the two segments to power the relative movement. When the handle is in either the down and the door locked position, or in the up and unlocked ready for outward rotation position, the linkage is overcenter so that the handle remains in position. A safety link extends between the two segments to provide fail safe locking at either handle position.

Abstract: An index bar is secured to a machined and leveled surface of a base. One side of the bar is machined to be contacted and to act as a buttock plane. The bar has a series of in line holes positioned for lengthwise indexing. A second index bar, secured to the base, has a series of matching holes and the bar is positioned parallel to the buttock plane. The index bars are used for alignment for scribing header locations on the base. Headers, contoured with respect to the base surface and with respect to the buttock plane, are formed and while on the scribed line and while contacting the base and the buttock plane surface, are secured to the base. The secured headers are vertically aligned and held in that position to provide the critical lines for forming a master model.

Abstract: A fuel gaging system of the type wherein the capacitance of a probe (20) within the fuel tank is used as an indication of fuel quantity via an assumed density/dielectric constant relationship (10) of the fuel. System accuracy is improved by directly measuring fuel density and dielectric constant. These values are compared with the assumed values in a processor (68) which generates an appropriate gaging correction signal in response to a discrepancy.

Abstract: A fiberglass fabric wherein a selected number and pattern of yarns have been coated with an aluminum coating is preimpregnated with epoxy or other resin system and laid up as an integral part of a composite structure of the type having a honeycomb core and a plurality of fiberglass plies. Multiple plies of fiberglass fabric which include the yarns coated with an aluminum coating may be utilized in edgeband fastener areas for increased electrical continuity without loss of mechanical strength of composite parts.

Abstract: A method for forming turbulators on scale model airplanes used in wind tunnel testing for accurately simulating a transition point on the model surface equivalent to that produced on the full scale airplane. The transition point is where the boundary layer airflow goes from a laminar airflow condition to a turbulent airflow condition. The method relates to applying a perforated tape mask (14) to the model surface (12) at a predetermined location and filling the perforations (15) with a fast cure epoxy (17). After the epoxy has cure hardened, the tape mask (14) is peeled off in the direction of the arrow (16), leaving a series of in situ formed disk turbulators (10) which function to produce the transition point on the model surface.

Abstract: An integrated aircraft longitudinal flight control system uses a generalized thrust and elevator command computation (38), which accepts flight path angle, longitudinal acceleration command signals, along with associated feedback signals, to form energy rate error (20) and energy rate distribution error (18) signals. The engine thrust command is developed (22) as a function of the energy rate distribution error and the elevator position command is developed (26) as a function of the energy distribution error. For any vertical flight path and speed mode the outerloop errors are normalized (30, 34) to produce flight path angle and longitudinal acceleration commands.The system provides decoupled flight path and speed control for all control modes previously provided by the longitudinal autopilot, autothrottle and flight management systems.