Pilot activated trim for fly-by-wire aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10618635-B2
Application number	US-201715404804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2017
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A fly-by-wire aircraft and method of flying a fly-by-wire aircraft is disclosed. The aircraft includes a control system for flying the aircraft in one of a proportional ground control mode and a model following controls mode. A control device at a control interface of the aircraft selectively activates a trim follow up function in the control system. When flying the aircraft in a proportional ground control mode, trim follow up function can be activated. The control system can then transition into the model following controls mode with the trim follow up function activated to reduce transient behavior.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:

1. A method of flying a fly-by-wire aircraft, comprising:
flying the aircraft in a ground control mode using a control interface of the aircraft;
activating a trim follow up function at the control interface while flying the aircraft in the proportional ground control mode; and
transitioning from the ground control mode into a model following control mode with the trim follow up function activated, wherein the model following control mode operates the aircraft via an inverse model and transitioning to the model following control mode causes a transient behavior in a control device of the aircraft based on a difference between a current state of the aircraft and a desired state of the aircraft from the inverse model;
wherein activating the trim follow up function reduces the transient behavior in the control device during the transition from the ground control mode to the model following control mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating the trim follow up function and transitioning to the model following control mode using a single command from the control interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating the trim follow up function at the control interface of the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising activating the trim follow up function by depressing a button at the control interface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the trim follow up sends a command input from the control interface to a mode logic module of a control system of the aircraft and the mode logic module provides a trim follow up function.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein activating the trim follow up further comprises activating a trim integrator in the control system, wherein the mode logic module sends a signal to allow the trim follow up function to the trim integrator and the trim integrator fades in the trim follow up function.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the trim follow up function is determined from a commanded state of the aircraft.

8. A fly-by-wire aircraft, comprising:
a control system for flying the aircraft in one of a ground control mode and a model following control mode that operates the aircraft via an inverse model; and
a control device at a control interface of the aircraft that undergoes a transient behavior during a transition from the ground control mode and the model following control mode based on a difference between a current state of the aircraft and a desired state of the aircraft from the inverse model; and
a button for activating a trim follow up function to reduce the transient behavior of the control device during the transition from the ground control mode to the model following control mode.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the trim follow up function is activated while the aircraft is flying in the ground control mode and the control system transitions into the model following control mode while the trim follow up function is activated.

10. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the control interface further includes a cyclic inceptor.

11. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the control device further includes a button for selectively activating the trim follow up function.

12. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the control system includes a mode logic module and a trim integrator that are implemented into the control system when the trim follow up function is activated.

13. The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the mode logic module receives a command signal from the control interface and provides the trim follow up function to the trim integrator.

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Wengler Iii Leonard M
• Bredenbeck Kevin L
• Luszcz Matthew T
• White Matthew A
• Fell William

Classifications

• B64C13/503

  Fly-by-Wire · CPC title

• B64C13/506

  overriding of personal controls; with automatic return to inoperative position · CPC title

• G05D1/0669

  specially adapted for vertical take-off · CPC title

• G05D1/0858

  specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft · CPC title

• B64C13/044 Primary

  operated by feet, e.g. pedals · CPC title