Flight Plan Transition Flyability and Path Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flight management systems often generate flight plans with unflyable transitions between legs, leading to uncertainty for pilots as the aircraft deviates from the displayed path and corrects itself, especially at higher speeds.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that includes an input device, memory, and processor to generate flight plans with flyable transitions by determining whether initial transitions are flyable and replacing unflyable ones with continuous path transitions, using algorithms to calculate roll and intercept angles and segment geometries for various cases of leg transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If single curve transitions are used between legs in a flight plan, then the flight plan structure is simple and easy to generate, but the transitions become unflyable at increased speeds causing aircraft deviation from the displayed path
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines whether to use single curve or continuous path transitions based on flight conditions such as speed. At increased speeds, the system automatically switches to continuous path transitions with multiple curves that ensure flyability, while maintaining single curve transitions at lower speeds where they are sufficient. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and flyability reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of transitions by introducing additional curve segments when flight conditions require higher precision. Instead of using a fixed single-curve structure, the system adjusts the transition geometry to include multiple curves with calculated roll and intercept angles, ensuring the path remains flyable at increased speeds while maintaining simplicity when conditions permit.
2Reliability
If continuous path transitions with multiple curves are used between legs, then the transitions remain flyable at increased speeds, but the calculation complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous path transition is segmented into distinct geometric cases (first case, second case, third case) based on the relationship between legs. Each case has predefined calculation procedures for roll angles and intercept angles, breaking down the complex continuous path problem into manageable segments. This segmentation reduces calculation complexity while maintaining flyability at increased speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary determination of which geometric case applies before executing the full calculation. By pre-classifying the transition scenario and selecting the appropriate calculation procedure in advance, the system avoids unnecessary computational steps, reducing processing time and complexity while ensuring the correct flyable path is generated.
3Productivity
If the FMS displays a flight plan with unflyable transitions, then the flight plan can be generated quickly, but the pilot experiences uncertainty as the aircraft deviates from and corrects itself from the displayed path
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback by determining whether each transition is flyable based on flight conditions and aircraft parameters. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically adjust the transition type (single curve vs. continuous path) to ensure flyability, providing the pilot with a displayed path that matches the actual aircraft trajectory and eliminating uncertainty during flight operations.
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B
Figure 2C~2E
AI summary
A system and method are provided for generating a flight plan between an initial position and a destination. An input device is configured to receive inputs related to the destination; a memory configured to store data related to the destination; and a processor is configured to retrieve data from the memory and to generate the flight plan from the initial position to the destination. The flight plan includes a plurality of legs and an initial plurality of transitions between the legs. The processor is further configured to determine whether each of the initial plurality of transitions between the legs are flyable and to provide a flyable transition between the legs if the transition is not flyable.