System and method for an air vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561844-B2
Application number	US-201213552263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2012
Priority date	Jul 19, 2011
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A method for providing a controllable side force to an air vehicle having a vertical stabilizer arrangement includes (a) selectively causing the vertical stabilizer arrangement to generate a first side force in a first side direction to provide the controllable side force, the first side force inducing a corresponding first yaw moment in a first yaw direction; and (b) selectively providing to the air vehicle a second yaw moment in a second yaw direction, the second yaw moment being induced by a force component of an auxiliary force applied to the air vehicle, the force component being in a force direction that is non-parallel with respect to the first side direction and the force component being spaced from a center of gravity of the air vehicle; wherein the second yaw direction is opposed to the first yaw direction. Also disclosed is a corresponding auxiliary yaw generating system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for providing a controllable net side force to an air vehicle having a vertical stabilizer arrangement, the method comprising:
(A) selectively causing said vertical stabilizer arrangement to generate a first side force in a first side direction to provide said controllable net side force, said first side force inducing a corresponding first yaw moment in a first yaw direction; and
(B) selectively providing to the air vehicle a second yaw moment in a second yaw direction, said second yaw moment being induced by a force component of an auxiliary force applied to said air vehicle, said force component being in a force direction that is non-parallel with respect to said first side direction and said force component being spaced from a center of gravity of the air vehicle, said auxiliary force having a second auxiliary force component in a direction parallel to said first side direction;
wherein said second yaw direction is opposed to said first yaw direction;
wherein said net side force is provided by a difference between said first side force and said second auxiliary force component, and is non-zero; and
wherein, responsive to said net side force, the air vehicle moves in a sideways direction.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first yaw moment is of substantially the same magnitude as said second yaw moment.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in step (A) comprises one of:
causing the air vehicle to adopt a non-zero sideslip angle to the relative wind direction, and providing a zero rudder deflection for said vertical stabilizer arrangement;
causing the air vehicle to adopt a positive sideslip angle to the relative wind direction, and providing a negative rudder deflection for said vertical stabilizer arrangement;
causing the air vehicle to adopt a negative sideslip angle to the relative wind direction, and providing a positive rudder deflection for said vertical stabilizer arrangement; or
causing the air vehicle to adopt a zero sideslip angle to the relative wind direction, and providing one of a negative rudder deflection and a positive rudder deflection for said vertical stabilizer arrangement.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said second yaw moment is induced independently of at least one of:
generating a second side force in a second side direction, wherein said second side direction is opposed to said first side direction;
operating a pitch control surface of the air vehicle; or
operating said vertical stabilizer arrangement.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said force component comprises a differential force generated between a port side and a starboard side of the air vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said differential force is substantially orthogonal to a yaw axis of the air vehicle and substantially orthogonal to said first side force direction.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said differential force comprises a differential drag.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the air vehicle comprises a drag inducing system operable for selectively providing said differential drag between said port side and said starboard side, and wherein step (B) comprises operating said drag inducing system to generate an appropriate said differential drag capable of inducing said second yaw moment in said second yaw direction.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the air vehicle comprises a port wing and a starboard wing, and wherein said drag inducing system is operable for selectively providing said differential drag between said port wing and said starboard wing.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising operating said drag inducing system wherein to cause one or another of said port wing and said starboard wing to increase drag relative to the other one of said port wing and said starboard wing to thereby generate said differential drag.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said drag inducing system comprises at least one of a spoiler or an air brake device on each said wing, and said increased drag is provided by at least one of:
selectively deploying at least one of said spoiler and said air brake device on one of said port wing and said starboard wing, while selectively refraining from deploying the respective at least one of said spoiler and said air brake device on the other one of said port wing and said starboard wing; or
selectively deploying at least one of said spoiler and said air brake device on said port wing to provide a port drag, and selectively deploying the respective at least one of said spoiler and said air brake device on said starboard wing to provide a starboard drag, wherein said port drag is of a different magnitude to said starboard drag, and wherein a difference between said port drag and said starboard drag provides said drag differential.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said drag inducing system comprises a respective said spoiler of each one of said port wing and said starboard wing, and wherein said spoiler is configured for enabling providing thereby said second yaw moment having a magnitude greater than a magnitude of said first yaw moment, wherein said first yaw moment corresponds to a zero rudder angle of said vertical stabilizer arrangement.

13. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the air vehicle comprises a port fuselage portion and a starboard fuselage portion, and wherein said drag inducing system is operable for selectively providing said differential drag between said port fuselage portion and said starboard fuselage portion.

14. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said differential force comprises a differential thrust.

15. An air vehicle, comprising:
a vertical stabilizer arrangement, wherein said vertical stabilizer arrangement is configured to generate a first side force in a first side direction, and the first side force inducing a corresponding first yaw moment in a first yaw direction;
an auxiliary yaw generating system configured for providing to the air vehicle a second yaw moment in a second yaw direction, said second yaw moment being induced by a force component of an auxiliary force applied to said air vehicle via said auxiliary yaw generating system, said force component being in a force direction that is non-parallel with respect to said first side direction and said force component being spaced from a center of gravity of the air vehicle; wherein said second yaw direction is opposed to said first yaw direction; and
a controller operably coupled to said vertical stabilizer and said auxiliary yaw generating system, the controller operable to:
direct said vertical stabilizer arrangement to generate said first side force in said first side direction, said first side force inducing said corresponding first yaw moment in said first yaw direction; and
selectively and concurrently direct said vertical stabilizer arrangement to generate said first side force, and direct said auxiliary yaw generating system to provide said air vehicle with said second yaw moment and said force component of said auxiliary force in said second yaw direction;
wherein a difference between said first side force and said auxiliary force providing a net side force that is non-zero that moves said air vehicle in a sideways direction.

16. The air vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein said auxiliary yaw generating system is configured for generating said first yaw moment having substantially the same magnitude as said second yaw moment.

17. The air vehicle according

Assignees

• Yogev Itzhak
• Shepshelovich Michael
• Abramov Danny
• Israel Aerospace Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yogev Itzhak
• Shepshelovich Michael
• Abramov Danny

Classifications

• B64C9/326

  associated with fuselages · CPC title

• B64C9/12 Primary

  surfaces of different type or function being simultaneously adjusted · CPC title

• Y02T50/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C9/323

  associated with wings · CPC title

• B64C15/02

  the jets being propulsion jets · CPC title