The Boeing Company

Delmar McLean Fadden

Alankar Gupta

James E Veitengruber

Alvin Richard Habbestad

The present invention utilizes a conventional aircraft landing and approach indicator in conjunction with a pilot controllable television camera and supporting aircraft computer for tracking an airdrop target and displaying the locus of payload ground impact points directly on the television image of the terrain being approached by the aircraft. The airdrop information is presented in such a manner which does not distract the pilot from the basic task of flying the aircraft by providing automatic calculation and continuous automatic updating of the airdrop information with respect to meteorological and aircraft flight path characteristics.

Ground impact point prediction system concept for airdrops

Apparatus for monitoring the operational status of the air delivery and momentum injection subsystems of a Boundary Layer Control (BLC) system of an aircraft, by sensing an air flow parameter in the supply duct supplying air to the BLC manifold is disclosed. The air flow parameter is sensed as a ratio of two discreet pressures [stagnation/static (P.sub.T /P.sub.S) or static/static (P.sub.S1 /P.sub.S2)]. When the ratio falls outside of a predetermined range, an indication that the air delivery and momentum injection subsystem has failed is provided. The failure may be due to either a rupture or a blockage of the air delivery and momentum injection subsystem. A combined BLC status indication is provided by combining the signal related to the sensed air flow parameter with signals related to the correctness of the position of the valves controlling the bleed air flowing to the air delivery momentum and injection subsystem and the position of the high lift surfaces (e.g., flaps) of the aircraft.

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Kent, WA, United States of America

Delmar McLean Fadden