Abstract: The present invention relates to a control system for an aircraft to compensate for crosswinds on landings. In one embodiment, the control system includes two mutually identical control surfaces having common end points, respectively; and an actuator to move completely the two mutually identical control surfaces, as needed to compensate for the crosswinds on landing.

Abstract: A method and system of orienting a payload of an orbiting spacecraft (14) to maintain a desired pointing profile in the presence of orbit inclination. A cone (12) is determined which is traced in inertial space by a pitch axis of the payload to maintain the desired pointing profile throughout an orbit. A bias momentum vector of the spacecraft (14) is oriented at an attitude which lies along the cone (12). The attitude has a nonzero angle with respect to a plane spanned by an orbit normal vector and an equatorial normal vector. The payload is rotated about a single body-fixed axis perpendicular to the pitch axis to align the pitch axis along the cone (12). As a result, the desired pointing profile is maintained throughout the inclined orbit.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a unique lift-generated noise reduction apparatus. This apparatus includes a plurality of tip fences that are secured to the trailing and leading assemblies of the high-lift system, as close as possible to the discontinuities where the vortices are most likely to form. In one embodiment, these tip fences are secured to some or all of the outboard and inboard tips of the wing slats and flaps. The tip fence includes a generally flat, or an aerodynamically shaped plate or device that could be formed of almost any rigid material, such as metal, wood, plastic, fiber glass, aluminum, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the tip fences extend below and perpendicularly to flaps and the slats to which they are attached, such that these tip fences are aligned with the nominal free stream velocity of the aircraft.In addition to reducing airframe noise, the tip fence tends to decrease drag and to increase lift, thus improving the overall aerodynamic performance of the aircraft.

Abstract: An expandable metal product for use in extinguishing fires and in the prevention of or protection against explosions. The product is a continuous sheet of magnesium alloy foil having discontinuous slits in spaced apart lines parallel to each other but transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the sheet. The invention is also directed to the expanded form of the product, either in sheets which may be used for preventing fires or explosion or in the form of shaped ellipsoids for use in a passive inerting system for fuel tanks.

Abstract: In a wing with wing shells with good shear strength made of fibrous composite materials, particularly fiber-reinforced plastics, for aircraft, members taking up tensile and compressive forces are attached to the inside of the wing shells. These members have unidirectional fibers extending longitudinally of the wing. Stringers spaced longitudinally of the wing are provided on the inside of the wing shells, their fiber component being formed by a fiber ply joined to the fiber ply of the wing shell. Unidirectional fibre bundles are arranged between spaced stringers, the bundles being embedded with good shear strength in the synthetic resin matrix of the wing shells, extending longitudinally of the wing and having a substantially rectangular cross-section.

Abstract: A remote indication system for a cargo door which indicates the following conditions: Opened, Closed, Latched, Unlocked and Locked. The entire system, including sensors, is independent of the standard flight deck warning system. This provides the required redundancy for the system so that direct observation is not required. An independent system from the standard flight deck warning system and/or the indication for each step of the process rather than just "open/closed" is utilized in the present cargo door control and indicating system.

Abstract: A helicopter skid having a wall defining an elongated generally cylindrical tubular cross section, and a web extending vertically along the longitudinal axis of the skid between a bottom portion and a top portion of the wall. The top and the bottom portions of the wall have a tapering thickness with maxima where the web meets the top and bottom portions. The web is preferably formed integrally with the wall. A horizontal member formed integrally with the side portions of the wall of the tube extends horizontally through an aperture in the web.

Abstract: A nose landing gear assembly for an airplane which can be launched with catapult assistance. The landing gear assembly includes a nose strut, upper drag link, lower drag link, launch bar and launch bar actuator. When the nose shut is in the extended position, the upper drag link, lower drag link and launch bar form a direct load path between the catapult shuttle and the airplane thereby avoiding subjecting the nose strut to loads reacted from the shuttle. The nose strut, launch bar, launch bar actuator and airplane fuselage form a first four bar linkage. Furthermore, the nose strut, upper drag link, lower drag link and airplane fuselage form a second four bar linkage such that during retraction of the nose strut, the launch bar, launch bar linkage, upper drag link and lower drag link are caused to move up and into the airplane wheel well.

Abstract: A body configuration for improving the fluid-dynamic performance efficiency of aircraft and watercraft comprises a generally conical upper segment (54) and a generally conical lower segment (56) that are joined at a common base plane (53), achieved by inverting the conical lower segment (56). The slopes of the conical surfaces are determined by the prescribed planform of the craft or vehicle and by the height of the conical segments wherein the height of the conical upper segment (h.sub.u) is less than and typically two-thirds that of the conical lower segment (h.sub.L). Although not limited to elliptical planforms, a generally circular planform (52) is preferred for a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft operating in the subsonic flight regime and an elliptical planform (68), with a large aspect ratio for takeoff and low-speed flight, then rotating to a low-aspect-ratio orientation for supersonic flight operation, is preferred for supersonic transport and single-stage-to-orbit type aircraft.

Abstract: Airplane (1) including a mainplane (3), elevator aerodynamic surfaces (4) and a front canard empennage adjustable in orientation. This airplane includes:a device for calculating (14) continuously receiving measurements:of the speed (V) of the airplane with respect to the air,of the centering (c) of the airplane (1),of the flight altitude (H), andof the mass (m) of said airplane and calculating the angular setting to be given to said planes (5) of the canard empennage, during phases of stabilized flight without atmospheric disturbances, so that the lift of said canard empennage corresponds, at any moment, to the smallest possible value of the drag of the airplane; and a device (9) forconferring an at least substantially constant lift on said empennage when the airplane in flight is not in a phase of stabilized flight without atmospheric disturbances.

Abstract: Multiple satellites are densely packed in modern multi-satellite launch vehicles. Stocking of a subsequent satellite (20) in the presence of adjacent satellites (12) subjects both satellites to damage due to mishandling and human error during craning operations. An alignment mechanism (30) attaches to subsequent satellite (20) and operates in conjunction with a craning tether (26) to stock a launch vehicle dispenser (10) with subsequent satellite (20). An alignment mechanism (30) restricts lateral motion of subsequent satellite (20) during stocking while keeping subsequent satellite (20) centrally located in a vacant position on a launch vehicle dispenser (10).

Abstract: A spacecraft telescope door (10) adapted for use with remote sensing devices requiring optical and infrared calibration. The door (10) includes a first calibration surface (24) disposed on a first panel (14) for providing a radiant temperature reference for infrared calibrations. A second calibration surface (26) is disposed on a second panel (12) for providing an absolute radiance reference for optical calibrations. A panel hinge (16) controls the relative position of the panels (12,14) with respect to each other, and an aperture hinge (20) controls the relative position of the panels with respect to the aperture (28). In a specific embodiment, the first surface (24) is painted with chemglaze Z306, a highly emissive paint with a low reflectance for facilitating infrared calibration. The second surface (26) is painted with YB71, a diffuse reflective paint for facilitating optical calibration.

Abstract: An airplane steering system which permits 180 degree turns with minimum tire scrub. The system involves steering of both the nose landing gear and the front and rear wheels of both main landing gear each consisting of three inline wheels; thus, the center of turn is placed between the main gears and allows the airplane to make 180 "pirouette" turns.

Abstract: An aircraft (10) including a stowable, wingtip mounted, vortex turbine (30) for dissipating or extracting energy from a lift induced vortex (28) emanating from the aircraft (10) is provided. The vortex turbine (30) includes a first and a second array (38, (40) of blades (32a,b) (34a,b) extending respectively from a first and a second hub section (32), (34). Hub sections (32), (34) may be independently pivoted about a common axis of rotation (36) to a stowed position for landing, take-off, or ground operation, whereat none of the blades (32a,b) (34a,b) extend below a minimum ground clearance of the aircraft, or beyond a maximum horizontal extension of the wing (16). In flight, the hub sections (32), (34) may be deployed and the pitch of the blades adjusted to maximize dissipation of the lift induced vortex (28), thereby minimizing drag and providing improved safety for other aircraft flying through the wake of the aircraft (10) producing the vortex (28).

Abstract: A method and system of attitude steering and momentum management for a spacecraft suitable over a wide range of orbit altitude and inclination parameters and a similar wide range of mission steering profiles is provided. The system utilizes two active momentum wheels positioned with their spin axes nominally coaligned on the spacecraft pitch axis. Each wheel is pivoted by jackscrew type mechanisms which allow the angular momentum to be tilted (e.g. within the range 0-45.degree. from the nominal alignment with respect to the spacecraft body). The spacecraft control processor generates wheel torque commands for the wheel speed electronics and jackscrew drive commands for the platform assemblies in order to adjust the speed and amount of tilt of the momentum wheels. The invention provides a two-momentum wheel array that allows use of either momentum bias steering or large angle zero-momentum steering and accommodates multiple orbit geometries and varying degrees of attitude steering agility.

Abstract: An air vehicle that includes a body lower portion, a body intermediate portion, body lower portion, a solar panel, elevating apparatus, gimbling apparatus, and inflatable landing gear. The body lower portion has a body lower portion outer surface and contains a body lower portion chamber. The body intermediate portion has a body intermediate portion upper surface and contains a body intermediate portion chamber. The body intermediate portion is connected to the body lower portion. The body upper portion contains a body upper portion chamber and is displaced a distance above the body intermediate portion. The solar panel has a solar panel outer surface and contains a solar panel void. The solar panel connects the body upper portion to the body intermediate portion. The elevating apparatus raises and lowers the air vehicle and is disposed within the body upper portion chamber.

Abstract: Insect debris is removed from or prevented from adhering to insect impingement areas of an aircraft, particularly on an inlet cowl of an engine, by heating the area to 180.degree.-500.degree. C. An apparatus comprising a means to bring hot air from the aircraft engine to a plenum contiguous to the insect impingement area provides for the heating of the insect impingement areas to the required temperatures. The plenum can include at least one tube with a plurality of holes contained in a cavity within the inlet cowl. It can also include an envelope with a plurality of holes on its surface contained in a cavity within the inlet cowl.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for injecting a heavier payload into orbit than is possible using a traditional method and the same rocket booster launch vehicle. The method of the present invention does not utilize a parking orbit and does not perform orbital injection at perigee or apogee of the desired orbit. Rather, in the present method the flight path angle is positive at the final lower stage booster burn so as to boost the perigee kick motor and payload into a suborbital trajectory having a low perigee, which may be below the surface of the Earth. In the preferred embodiment, the launch vehicle maintains a negative flight path angle during the PKM burn. The PKM burn does not occur at perigee, but perigee is at the desired location when the PKM burn is complete. Use of this method increases the payload capacity of some launch vehicles by up to fifty percent (50%).

Abstract: A control system for aircraft airfoils, which is an improvement over existing aileron, flap, spoiler and deicing technologies, in providing increased roll control and aerodynamic lifting and braking functions; with greatly reduced drag increased airspeed and precise control performance at all airspeeds, due to clean uninterrupted airfoil surfaces and directional conformance of wing to the intended flight path.This is accomplished by use of a torque tube mounted internally in the aeroelastic airfoil structure, and firmly attached to the airfoil tip structure. In operation the inboard end of the torque tube when rotated differentially on its pivot axis, imposes a helicoidal twist on the aeroelastic airfoil structure, with maximum angle of incidence at the outboard wing tip, providing near perfect lateral roll control or cooperating to provide increased lift and braking or maneuverability, also the foregoing operations provide automatic deicing. The torque tube can be operated by conventional control systems, e.

Abstract: A failure of any one of three swashplate actuators of a helicopter rotor blade is detected. Once such a detection is made, the position of this nonfunctional swashplate is locked and measured. The inputted commanded swashplate collective position, commanded swashplate x-axis rotational position, and commanded swashplate y-axis rotational position are then passed to a failure-mode control matrix. The failure-mode control matrix computes swashplate actuator commanded positions for the two operable swashplate actuators so that aircraft attitude control is maintained. These two swashplate actuator commanded positions instruct positional movement of the rotor blade swashplate to thereby meet the commanded swashplate x-axis rotational position and the commanded swashplate y-axis rotational position which will control attitude. A quasi-swashplate-collective-position corrector computes the quasi-swashplate collective position that will occur because of the successful control of the aircraft's attitude.