Automatic Flight Control Systems

This is an updated edition of the well-known introduction to the principles involved in the automatic flight of fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft. The principles are related to the systems used in the representative types of aircraft (UK and US) currently in service. It covers training examination syllabuses as well as serving as a reference text. Table of Contents......Page 1 Preface......Page 4 Lift......Page 7 Aerodynamic Center......Page 10 Drag......Page 12 Aircraft Stability......Page 15 Controllability......Page 31 Primary Flight Controls......Page 33 Combined Controls......Page 37 Powered Flight Controls......Page 38 Maneuvering & Forces Affecting an Aircraft......Page 40 Trimming......Page 43 Flying Tail......Page 49 Mach Trim......Page 51 Direct Lift Control......Page 52 Servomechanisms & Automatic Control Fundamentals......Page 53 Position Control Servomechnism......Page 54 Response of Servomechnism......Page 55 Damping......Page 57 Fundamentals of Automatic Control......Page 60 Interlocks......Page 67 Trimming and Servomechanisms......Page 70 The Gyroscope & its Properties......Page 72 Limitations of a Free Gyroscope......Page 74 Gimballing Errors......Page 78 Displacement Gyroscope......Page 79 Directional Gyro......Page 80 Gyro Horizon......Page 81 Electrically-operated Gyroscopes......Page 82 Vertical Reference Units......Page 83 Rate Gyroscope......Page 84 Rate Sensors......Page 85 Damping of Rate Gyroscopes......Page 89 Rate Sensing About Three Axes......Page 90 Single-axis Rate Sensing......Page 94 Self Monitored Rate Gyroscopes......Page 95 Combined Use of Displacement & Rate Gyroscopes......Page 96 Mechanical Systems......Page 98 Electrical Systems......Page 102 Errors in Compensation Systems......Page 104 Acceleration & Sideslip Sensors......Page 106 Iductive Elements......Page 108 E & I Bar Sensors......Page 109 Moving Vane Method......Page 110 Torque Synchros......Page 111 Control Synchros......Page 113 Differential Synchros......Page 115 Resolver Synchros......Page 117 Versine Generator......Page 122 Acceleration & Sideslip Sensors......Page 125 Command Signal Processing......Page 129 Limiting......Page 133 Integration......Page 134 Outer Loop Control......Page 137 Manometric (Air Data) Sensors......Page 139 Altitude Hold......Page 140 Mach Hold......Page 144 CADC......Page 145 Heading Hold......Page 148 Instrument Landing System (ILS)......Page 152 Glide Path Element......Page 153 Indicating Element......Page 154 ILS Coupling......Page 156 VOR System......Page 160 VOR Coupling......Page 162 Inertial Navigation System......Page 163 Control Wheel Steering......Page 170 Electro-pneumatic Servomotor......Page 172 Electro-mechanical Servomotors......Page 174 Electro-hydraulic Servo Control......Page 177 Automatic Trim Control......Page 179 Feedback......Page 182 Yaw Damping......Page 183 Torque Limiting......Page 186 Phase Advance......Page 190 Trim Indicators......Page 193 Mach Trim System......Page 195 Flight Director & Integrated Flight Control System......Page 196 Fundamental Landing Requirement......Page 213 Weather Minima......Page 214 System Reliability & Redundency......Page 215 Approach & Autoflare......Page 219 Radio Altimeters......Page 221 Ground Roll Control......Page 222 Equalization......Page 226 Datum Equalization......Page 227 Gain Equalization......Page 229 Autothrottle System......Page 232 INDEX......Page 236 This book provides an introduction to the pinciples of automatic flight of fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft. Representative types of aircraft (UK and US) are used to show how these principles are applied in their systems. The revised edition includes new material on automatic flight control systems and helicopters