Patents Examined by D. Angotti
  • Patent number: 4740899
    Abstract: An improved system and technique is disclosed which enables an aircraft control system to bring an aircraft to hover with no direct measurement of ground speed. The system includes a device for numerically calculating a value for ground speed based on a differentiation of aircraft position as measured from conventional ground reference navigational aids. The computed value of ground speed is compared with values representing heading and true air speed to generate a computed value of wind. The computed value of wind is then resolved into vector components of headwind and crosswind and the headwind component and air speed are summed to provide a signal used to control aircraft speed until zero ground speed is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Kenneth W. McElreath