Aircraft Control Inceptor Switching for Manned and Remote Flight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft design lacks efficient conversion of legacy manned aircraft into optionally manned or unmanned systems, with challenges in control inceptor management and flight control systems transitioning between manned, optionally manned, and unmanned operations.
Innovation Solution
A control inceptor management system that integrates with flight control computers to manage various control axes and flight modes, including classical back-driven and unique trim designs, allowing seamless operation between manned, optionally manned, and unmanned configurations, using a control manager to process sensor data and activate required motions, and incorporating emergency hijack mode algorithms for remote control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If legacy manned aircraft are converted to optionally manned or unmanned systems, then operational flexibility and automation capability are improved, but control inceptor management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control inceptor management system is designed to universally manage multiple control axes and flight modes across different operational configurations (manned, optionally manned, and unmanned). The system integrates classical back-driven designs and unique trim designs into a single multi-functional framework that can adapt to various flight conditions without requiring separate control systems for each configuration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If control inceptor management system integrates multiple flight modes, then system versatility is improved, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control inceptor management system segments the control axes and flight modes into distinct manageable components. Each control axis can be independently managed and configured for specific flight modes, allowing the system to handle multiple operational configurations through modular organization rather than monolithic complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If seamless operation between manned and unmanned configurations is enabled, then operational adaptability is improved, but control management difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control inceptor management system implements dynamic reconfiguration capabilities that allow seamless transition between manned, optionally manned, and unmanned configurations. The system can dynamically adjust control axes management and flight mode assignments based on the current operational configuration, enabling adaptability without requiring manual reconfiguration or complex switching procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a control manager is disposed between the rotor system and the flight control inceptor. The control manager is configured to receive control commands wirelessly from a ground control station, translate the control commands into one or more axes associated with the flight control inceptor, and transmit the translated control commands to the rotor system in place of the instructions received from the pilot via the flight control inceptor.