Rockwell International Corporation

John P Centala

Kenneth W McElreath

A system and technique is disclosed which enables an aircraft to naturally respond to pilot inputs during automatic flight control of aircraft attitude or course and to smoothly return to that attitude or course following pilot maneuvers. The aircraft attitude control channels of an aircraft control system are held at a predetermined attitude reference by an automatic flight control system or programmed to follow a particular navigational course by a flight director guidance system. The aircraft control stick is coupled to disconnect the predetermined pitch and roll attitude from flight control following a stick movement of a predetermined distance or the application of a predetermined force to the stick so that the AFCS or flight director guidance system no longer attempts to hold the set attitude or navigational course. The control stick commands an angular rate of change proportional to the magnitude of the pilot's stick displacement or force. Upon release of the force and return of the aircraft control stick to a neutral position, a 'fly through' fading circuit smoothly returns the aircraft to its original attitude or navigational course.

Automatic flight control with pilot fly-through

A system and technique is disclosed which provides a complemented roll attitude signal for use in the control system of an aircraft. The complemented roll attitude is produced by combining a yaw rate and true airspeed signal with a conventional roll attitude signal to produce a complemented signal which may be combined with a roll command signal to produce a roll steering signal for controlling aircraft response under non-zero roll attitude conditions of aircraft flight. The complemented roll attitude signal provides improved response to aircraft roll commands under non-zero roll attitude conditions, particularly in helicopter systems.

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Marion, IA, United States of America

John P Centala