Motorola Corporation

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Michael J Augustin

Bradley Don Linton

William L McKeown

Mark E Dreier

Allen L Bertapelle

Robert D Yeary

Wade Williams

William L Mckeown

A method and apparatus for tactile cueing of aircraft controls () is disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention warns pilots of approaching limits on certain aircraft performance parameters. The most common warnings are for rotor speed exceeding a moving limit. The present invention uses tactile cueing through the collective stick (). Tactile cueing means that the pilot does not need to scan the intruments to ascertain proximity to the aforementioned limits. Instead, the pilot can operate the aircraft within proper limits by touch, while maintaining situational awareness outside of the cockpit (). The method and apparatus of the present invention provides customary friction resistance up to a limit position that is continuously updated. According to the present invention, continued motion of the collective () in a direction beyond that limit position results in a breakout force and an increasing resistive force.

Method and apparatus for tactile cueing of aircraft controls

The noise blanker of a conventional FM radio is inhibited for several seconds upon closing of the receiver's squelch gate. Following the inhibit period, the blanker is reactivated and again inhibited for the full period upon a subsequent squelch gate closing. Thus, the blanker is inhibited for those signal conditions in which its operation would degrade the overall intelligibility of the processed signal as determined by the squelch control setting.

Radio receiver blanker inhibit circuit

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Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Michael J Augustin