Aircraft Flare Guidance Trajectory Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flare guidance systems for aircraft landings are inadequate in providing dependable and accurate guidance, leading to pilot uncertainty, increased wear on aircraft systems, and potential runway overruns due to inconsistent landings.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that calculates a flare command path intersecting the runway at a desired touchdown location, using current flight parameters and runway characteristics to guide the pilot through a pre-determined flare maneuver, ensuring a low sink rate and accurate touchdown within the desired zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional flare guidance systems are used, then pilots can perform flare maneuvers, but the guidance is inadequate leading to inconsistent landings and potential runway overruns
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the flare command path and desired touchdown location in advance before the flare maneuver begins. The flight path model is established during the approach phase, allowing the system to determine the optimal flare trajectory and touchdown point before the aircraft reaches flare engage altitude, ensuring consistent and reliable landing guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors current flight parameters and compares them against the modeled flight path and desired trajectory. This feedback mechanism allows real-time adjustments to guidance commands, improving both the reliability of the flare guidance and the precision of the touchdown location by correcting deviations from the planned path.
2Ease of operation
If pilots perform flare maneuvers to reduce sink rate, then passenger comfort and safety improve, but landing location becomes unpredictable causing runway overruns
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts flare maneuver parameters including the flare engage altitude, pitch rate commands, and sink rate profiles based on the calculated flight path model. By optimizing these parameters in advance and adjusting them in real-time, the system ensures both passenger comfort through smooth deceleration and precise touchdown within the desired zone.
3Device complexity
If inaccurate flare guidance is provided, then simple systems can be used, but aircraft systems experience increased wear and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of the flare command path and touchdown location during the approach phase, before the flare maneuver begins. This advance preparation allows the guidance system to provide accurate trajectories without requiring complex real-time computations during the critical flare phase, reducing system complexity while maintaining high reliability and minimizing wear through precise guidance.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are described herein for providing flight director guidance throughout a flare maneuver during landing operations. A pre-flare flight path to a runway may be received, and a flare engage altitude calculated. A flare command path may be calculated having a slope associated with a desired descent rate at a desired touchdown location on a runway. An aircraft flare trajectory may be calculated that transitions the aircraft from the flare engage altitude on the pre-flare flight path to the flare command path at the desired touchdown location. A flight director command may be provided during the flare maneuver that aligns a current flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory.