Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Textron Inc.

Russell C Peters

Steven G Hagerott

John Robert Wittmaak, Jr

Stephen Yibum Chung

Andrew Vincent Louis

Stephen M Eddy

Aaron M Hitchcock

Nathaniel Gordon Lundie

Matthew Edward Louis

Sung Kyun Kim

Levi Charles Hefner

Eric Ricardo Gonzalez

William Ben Johns

Christopher John Stroncek

William Alexander Dean

Alyssa Berta Armendariz

Spencer Hancock

Eric Covington

Manish J Mistry

John Robert Wittmark, Jr

Dakota Easley

A flight control system, including a flight control computer (FCC) configured for providing a first and second flight function, and sending, to effectors of an aircraft, first command signals based on the first and second flight functions, and a second computer configured for providing one or more autonomy functions associated with operation of the aircraft, and that are different from the first and second flight functions, monitoring operation of the FCC, determining whether the FCC has failed, and providing a fail-safe mode for at least the first flight function in response to determining that the FCC has failed. Providing the fail-safe mode includes providing one or more critical flight functions that includes the first flight function, and sending, to the effectors, second command signals that replace a first command signal associated with the first flight function and that are based on the critical flight functions.

Fault tolerant flight control architecture

In one embodiment, a remote controller for a vehicle includes at least one control element for controlling operation of at least one aspect of the vehicle when the vehicle is in a remote-control mode; an actuator connected the at least one control element for controlling a position of the at least one control element when the vehicle is in an autonomous operations mode; and a processing system for receiving a first control signal from the vehicle indicative of a state of operation of the vehicle. In operation, the processing system generates a second control signal to the actuator to cause the actuator to control a position of the control element such that it corresponds to and indicates the state of operation of the vehicle.

Remote control unit having active feedback

A method of adjusting a directional movement ability in an aircraft having two or more rotors includes receiving a desired thrust demand for each rotor of the two or more rotors, comparing the desired thrust demands to determine a maximum thrust demand, determining whether the maximum thrust demand exceeds a maximum thrust limit of the two or more rotors, and adjusting each desired thrust demand based on whether the maximum thrust demand exceeds the maximum thrust limit to provide an adjusted thrust demand for each rotor of the two or more rotors. Each rotor can be operated based on a respective adjusted thrust demand.

Method of adjusting directional movement ability in a multi-rotor aircraft

A ground state determination system for an aircraft includes sensors configured to detect parameters of the aircraft and a flight control system implementing a ground state module. The ground state module includes a ground state monitoring module configured to monitor the parameters and a ground state determination module configured to compare each of the parameters monitored by the ground state monitoring module to a respective parameter threshold to determine whether the aircraft is on a surface.

Ground state determination systems for aircraft

A tailsitter aircraft for deploying a tow line includes an airframe having wings with pylons extending therebetween and a thrust array attached to the airframe, the thrust array including propulsion assemblies configured to transition the airframe between a forward flight orientation and a VTOL orientation. The tailsitter aircraft includes an attenuation spool coupled to the airframe and an attenuation cable having a first end coupled to the attenuation spool and a second end coupled to the tow line, the attenuation cable partially or fully wound around the attenuation spool. The tailsitter aircraft also includes a spool sensor to detect movement of the attenuation spool and a flight control system implementing a tow line tension monitoring module in communication with the spool sensor to determine a tow line tension parameter and a tow line tension reaction module to initiate an aircraft response based on the tow line tension parameter.

Tow line tension management systems for aircraft

A method for reducing form drag on a tailsitter aircraft during at least one of takeoff or landing includes vertically taking off from the ground in a tailsitter orientation. The method also includes determining an actual pitch of the tail sitter aircraft in the tailsitter orientation. The method also includes determining a difference between the actual pitch and a predetermined pitch. The method also includes adjusting a heading of the tailsitter aircraft based on the difference to minimize a pitch angle to reduce the form drag on the tailsitter aircraft.

Turn into wind method and system

A tailsitter aircraft includes an airframe, a thrust array attached to the airframe and a flight control system. The thrust array includes propulsion assemblies configured to transition the airframe from a forward flight orientation to a VTOL orientation at a conversion rate for an approach to a target ground location in a forward flight-to-VTOL transition phase. The flight control system implements an adaptive transition system including a transition parameter monitoring module configured to monitor parameters including a ground speed and a distance to the target ground location. The adaptive transition system includes a transition adjustment determination module configured to adjust the conversion rate of the airframe from the forward flight orientation to the VTOL orientation based on the ground speed and the distance to the target ground location such that the airframe is vertically aligned with the target ground location in the VTOL orientation of the forward flight-to-VTOL transition phase.

Adaptive transition systems for VTOL aircraft

An aircraft includes an airframe with a thrust array attached thereto. The thrust array includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies that are independently controlled by a flight control system. A landing gear assembly is coupled to the airframe and includes a plurality of landing feet. An altitude sensor array includes a plurality of altitude sensors each of which is disposed within one of the landing feet such that when the aircraft is in the VTOL orientation, the altitude sensor array is configured to obtain multifocal altitude data relative to a landing surface. The flight control system is configured to generate a three-dimensional terrain map of the surface based upon the multifocal altitude data.

VTOL aircraft having multifocal landing sensors

A method for monitoring an oscillatory signal from an oscillating device includes filtering the oscillatory signal to within a desired frequency band to provide a filtered signal and extracting an amplitude from the filtered signal. The method further includes switching control of the oscillating device when the amplitude exceeds a predetermined amplitude requirement for a predetermined duration. An oscillatory signal monitor includes a first controller and a second controller each configured to independently control an oscillating device. An oscillatory signal based on a position of the oscillating device is filtered to a desired frequency band, and an amplitude is extracted from the filtered signal. A switch is provided for switching control of the oscillatory device from the first controller to the second controller when the amplitude exceeds a predetermined amplitude requirement for a predetermined duration.

Oscillatory monitor

A method for an aircraft may include determining a transition from an airplane mode to a helicopter mode for a propulsion system of the aircraft, wherein the propulsion system comprises a plurality of rotor blades; determining whether a descent rate condition is satisfied, wherein the descent rate condition is associated with a maximum allowable descent rate for the aircraft; and controlling a collective pitch angle for the plurality of rotor blades based on the descent rate condition.

System and method to provide descent rate limiting for an aircraft

An actuator hardover monitor for a control surface includes an actuator sensor for detecting an actuator position, a command model of an expected position of the actuator based on an input command, and a monitor to determine whether a difference between the actuator position and the expected position exceeds a threshold for a predetermined duration. A method of preventing a hardover event for a control surface includes commanding an actuator valve to a commanded position, determining continuously when the commanded position, or an actuator valve position, or a control-surface position, or a modeled actuator valve position exceeds a predetermined limit to provide an exceedance. The method may further include filtering a signal of the exceedance based on a time constant to provide a filtered exceedance, and switching to a backup control-surface actuator when the filtered exceedance exceeds the predetermined limit for a predetermined duration.

Actuator hardover monitor

In an embodiment, a method for aircraft weight estimation is provided that includes determining a weight signal based on a dynamic pressure signal, a calibrated angle of attack signal, a lift coefficient signal, a load factor signal, and a wing surface area. In another embodiment, a method to estimate aircraft weight is provided that includes determining a weight based on historical flight data relating horizontal control surface position to dynamic pressure. In another embodiment, a system for continuously estimating aircraft weight during flight is provided that includes a pitot-static subsystem, an angle of attack indicator, an accelerometer, a controller configured to provide a weight signal, and a signal filter for filtering the weight signal to determine a stable aircraft weight.

Aircraft weight estimation

Embodiments of a method to determine airspeed for aircraft include determining critical air data parameters without the use of pitot-static systems. Airspeed may be determined by iteratively repeating the method until converging on a stable airspeed value that differs from a previous airspeed value by less than a predetermined threshold. Airspeed may be determined by modeling aircraft lift and repeatedly updating dynamic pressure to converge on an airspeed based on the balance between aircraft lift and weight. Airspeed may be determined based on predetermined relationships between a horizontal control surface position and dynamic pressure. A voting logic method validates or invalidates airspeeds from dissimilar sources, including airspeeds determined using the methods described herein and conventional pitot-static systems.

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Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Russell C Peters