Abstract: A flight lock actuator that can be powered by two sources of stored energy when aircraft power has been switched off. A mechanical energy storage means and an electrical energy storage means provide a fully redundant energy storage system that stores sufficient energy to complete the actuator's extension stroke when aircraft power is removed. The actuator has a motor control system that limits the stroke velocity for both the extension and retraction strokes, including a damper feature capable of effectively braking the actuator during the back-driven extension stroke.

Abstract: A refueling drogue adapted to connect to a refueling hose extending from a refueling aircraft. The drogue may include a rotatable mass adapted to effectively stabilize the refueling drogue via a gyroscopic effect of the rotating mass on the refueling drogue when the refueling drogue is placed in an airstream.

Abstract: An airport map display system for an aircraft displays the airport paved surfaces and structures to a pilot or crew member. The system displays runways, taxiways, connectors, ramps, gates, and buildings. Hold and yield points may also be displayed. A compact set of specific data points and associated pavement width values is used to store unique data for each airport.

Abstract: An airport map display system provides situational awareness to a pilot of an airport's runways, taxiways, and other features relative to the pilot's aircraft. Data representative of an airport map is translated and communicated between aircraft systems using a data interchange method that facilitates efficient throughput of information used to represent an airport map. In addition, data representative of taxi routes, modified taxi routes, and current position of the aircraft at the airport are also translated and communicated using a compact data interchange method. Airport map data is scaled so that it is compatible with display systems previously incompatible with displaying some airport maps. Aircraft equipped with raster displays are manipulated to display map symbology by redefining existing vector group labels. For retrofit applications, the airport map display system is activated when a preexisting input (e.g., an “ARPT” button) is activated when a taxi-related page is active.

Abstract: A boom deploy actuator with improved maintainability and simplicity has an electric motor and control circuitry for selectively powering the motor to develop torque with either rotational direction for rotating a capstan to vary the length of a boom cord extending from the capstan to a boom. In a preferred embodiment, the motor is a brushless electric motor. The control circuitry preferably includes circuit components for limiting the speed of the motor.

Abstract: A taxi planning system for aircraft provides an intuitive user interface for entering and selecting taxi plans quickly and easily. The system includes predefined reduced selection menus that prompt the pilot with feasible taxi choices. Predefined standard routes allow the pilot to select a taxi route with a minimum of keystrokes and in a minimum of time. A display screen communicates the selection menus and standard routes to the pilot who makes a selection with as little as one keystroke. A database comprising a linked list structure facilitates a flexible system that is able to represent a wide variety of airport runways, taxiways, gates, ramps, and other airport structures. The selected taxi route is communicated to other aircraft systems such as head-down displays, head-up displays, flight management computers, communication systems, and the like.

Abstract: An airport feature display system for aircraft provides visual guidance cues and awareness to track the specified taxi path on a HUD. The guidance cues include symbology representative of the position of selected airport features such as runway and taxiway edges, taxi routes, and airport signage. Data representative of the airport features is communicated between aircraft systems using a data interchange method that facilitates efficient throughput of the large quantities of data required to represent the airport features.

Abstract: A flight lock actuator that can be powered by two sources of stored energy when aircraft power has been switched off. A mechanical energy storage means and an electrical energy storage means provide a fully redundant energy storage system that stores sufficient energy to complete the actuator's extension stroke when aircraft power is removed. The actuator has a motor control system that limits the stroke velocity for both the extension and retraction strokes, including a damper feature capable of effectively braking the actuator during the back-driven extension stroke.

Abstract: A safe and reliable aircraft fuel gauging system which eliminates the need for electrical wiring to transmit electrical signals into and out of the fuel tank of an aircraft. The fuel gauging system utilizes at least one light source to generate input light signals which are delivered to a plurality of probes multiplexed on a fiber optic element. The same, or a separate, fiber optic element transmits the probes' output light signals to a light detector located externally of the fuel tank. Each probe includes a photoelectric conversion device, an LC resonant circuit, and a magnetooptic device for generating the responsive output light signal to the input light signal. Based on the output signal form the probes, the light detector determines the level of fuel in the tank.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention enables a two-brake torque limiting device to fix the position of one or more flaps and/or slats on an airplane wing when unplanned or abnormal conditions exist. The two-brake torque limiting device may include a trigger brake, a lock down brake, and a speed-increasing device. The trigger brake may use an electromagnetic brake to apply a braking force to the lock down section. The braking force transferred to the lock down section from the trigger section may be transferred through a speed-increasing device. The speed-increasing device allows for the use of a small and a lightweight electromagnetic brake. The invention also provides a method for reducing asymmetry in the wings of an aircraft using an asymmetry detection device, using a trigger brake, using a speed-increasing gear, and using a lock down brake.

Abstract: A turbo-generator machine for producing a supply of cooled air and a supply of electric power has a permanent magnet generator fixed to a shaft which is driven by a turbine rotor, the turbine serving to expand air which is supplied thereto. Magnetic bearings support the shaft radially for rotation about a precisely established axis while a magnetic thrust bearing keeps the shaft in a precisely fixed axial position. Power for the magnetic bearings is supplied by the turbo-generator during operation. Generator air gap is sized in coordination with the magnetic bearing air gap, and the generator stator and shaft are sized to minimize leakage flux from the generator to minimize interaction between the permanent magnet rotor and the magnetic bearings.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention allows flight vehicle and/or guided munition wings and control surfaces to be secured in a retracted and locked position prior to the launch by a control surface retainer. An electro-mechanical differential control system preferably releases the control surface retainer, extends the control surfaces, and servo controls the control surfaces subsequent to launch. The invention also provides a method for guiding a flight vehicle and/or guided munition by releasing the flight vehicle's and/or guided munition's control surface from a control surface retainer, extending the flight vehicle's and/or guided munition's wing/control surface assembly using a wing/control surface actuation system, and controlling the flight vehicle's and/or guided munition's control surfaces using a wing/control surface actuation system.

Abstract: A ballast load control system and method is presented that regulates the output electrical power supplied by a turbo-generator such that appropriate turbine loading may be achieved. Such enables the use of a turbo-generator having an expansion turbine to be used to provide a controlled, required amount of cooling to a thermal control system. By effectively varying the coupled electrical load, the loading provided to the expansion turbine may be controlled while maintaining output power requirements to connected electrical utilization equipment. Use of a common system controller for both the cooling system and ballast trim load system of the present invention ensures coordinated operation between the required amount of cooling and electrical power quality supplied to the coupled utilization equipment.

Abstract: A turbo-generator machine for producing a supply of cooled air and a supply of electric power has a permanent magnet generator fixed to a shaft which is driven by a turbine rotor, the turbine serving to expand air which is supplied thereto. Magnetic bearings support the shaft radially for rotation about a precisely established axis while a magnetic thrust bearing keeps the shaft in a precisely fixed axial position. Power for the magnetic bearings is supplied by the turbo-generator during operation. Generator air gap is sized in coordination with the magnetic bearing air gap, and the generator stator and shaft are sized to minimize leakage flux from the generator to minimize interaction between the permanent magnet rotor and the magnetic bearings.

Abstract: Blade tracker apparatus for tracking rotating helicopter blades includes an antenna which transmits a signal beam in the direction of the rotating blade. The impedance of the antenna changes as one of the blades enters the transmission beam and the amount by which the impedance changes varies as a function of the physical distance between the antenna and the blade. The varying impedance caused by a blade passing the antenna will amplitude modulate the transmitted signal and provide an indication of the distance of each of the several blades of a rotor as each of the blades passes through the field of the antenna.

Abstract: A fault protective device (48) for limiting the maximum current and voltage applicable to electronic components and wiring (26, 30) located in the fuel tank (10) of an aircraft. Particularly, a fuel gauging system circuit (18) extends from a generator (20) located outside the tank to at least one probe (14) located in the tank and from the probe to instrumentation (24) outside the tank. The device is electrically coupled to the circuit at the tank wall (28) and includes a voltage clamp (50) and series inductor-capacitor resonant circuit (46), so that the resonant circuit provides a low series impedance when applied with a signal at the operating frequency of the input signal applied by the generator but provides a high series impedance when experiencing a signal of a different frequency indicative of a system fault.