FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WITH AIRCRAFT TIME-OF-ARRIVAL CONTROL

A research program on STOL operating systems is underway at the Ames Research Center. One investigation is concerned with design, analysis, and flight test of promising 4-D RNAV (four-dimensional area navigation) system concepts. While the flight paths that can be flown and the control system are aircraft dependent, the 4-D RNAV system concept is not. Hence, the work is applicable to CTOL aircraft. One promising system generates a capture flight path from the present aircraft position to a waypoint on a selected fixed-approach route. It predicts arrival time at the runway and controls time and position along the path. The system was flight tested, using a digital avionics system, on a Convair 340 and on an experimental powered-lift STOL airplane. Flight tests in the flight director mode show that the pilot can choose and change the desired time of arrival and meet this time within a few seconds, in spite of navigation errors and varying winds. Initial tests of the automatic mode using the NASA Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft (AWJSRA) show that good time control was achieved without objectionable throttle activity.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00218669
• Corporate Authors:

  American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

  1290 Avenue of the Americas
  New York, NY  United States  10019
• Authors:
  • NEUMAN, F
  • Lee, H Q
• Publication Date: 1977-2

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 104-110
• Serial:
  • Journal of Aircraft
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • ISSN: 0021-8669
  • Serial URL: https://arc.aiaa.org/journal/ja

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pilots; Aircraft pilotage; Approach; Avionics; Flight paths; Forecasting; Navigation; Performance; Schedules; STOL aircraft; Takeoff; VTOL aircraft
• Identifier Terms: Convair aircraft
• Old TRIS Terms: Arrivals; Four dimensional area navigation; Short takeoff; Time of arrival
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00172745
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 12 1978 12:00AM