The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 1987
Filed:
Dec. 13, 1985
Joseph E Zupanick, Richardson, TX (US);
Atlantic Richfield Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
In order to achieve fine control of the velocity of an aircraft flying a predetermined flight path at a predetermined nominal speed in the presence of such perturbations as wind gusts, a low inertia, fast acting device is extended or deployed into the aircraft dragstream and is rapidly position-modulated in response to sensed acceleration/deceleration to instanteneously slightly alter the total system drag to an amount which causes the aircraft to maintain the predetermined velocity. Among the exemplary alternative low inertia devices disclosed are: fuselage and wing mounted flaps which are rapidly more or less extended, a trailing cable which is rapidly reeled in or out, and a trailing inflatable member whose degree of inflation is rapidly changed, all in response to sensed acceleration/deceleration from an on-board system.