Automatic low-speed aircraft maneuver wind compensation

1 . A method for automatic low-speed aircraft maneuver wind compensation comprising:

receiving or retrieving, by an aircraft flight control system, steady wind data comprising wind speed and wind direction in a current operational area of the aircraft through a datalink to the aircraft flight control system, the steady wind data obtained from a station at a location where the aircraft is operating;

retrieving, by the aircraft flight control system, groundspeed data for the aircraft comprising current groundspeed and direction of the aircraft;

computing, by the aircraft flight control system, a two-dimensional horizontal airspeed for the aircraft, using the steady wind data and the groundspeed data for the aircraft, wherein computing the two-dimensional horizontal airspeed for the aircraft further comprises combining the steady wind data and the groundspeed data for the aircraft;

computing relative changes in trim controls of the aircraft using the two-dimensional horizontal airspeed of the aircraft to look up the relative changes in a plurality of trim control two-dimensional lookup tables, each trim control two-dimensional lookup table defined at a different center of gravity of the aircraft relative to one another; and

applying, by the aircraft flight control system, the relative changes in trim controls of the aircraft, due to horizontal airspeed changes, to flight element control actuators, wherein the trim controls of the aircraft comprise aircraft rotor controls, aircraft attitude controls, and/or power controls, and applying the relative changes in trim controls of the aircraft through direct feed forward, and applying disturbance rejection through feedback loops to account for wind gusts.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the relative changes in trim controls of the aircraft by performing an integration on a trim control rate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steady wind data is received or retrieved from one or more onboard aircraft airspeed data sensors.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the relative changes in trim controls of the aircraft are based, at least in part, on existing aircraft loading and ambient conditions.

5 . An aircraft flight control system comprising:

an aircraft flight control computer configured to:

receive or retrieve steady wind data comprising wind speed and wind direction in a current operational area of the aircraft, the steady wind data obtained from a station at a location where the aircraft is operating through a datalink to the aircraft flight control system;

retrieve groundspeed data for the aircraft comprising current groundspeed and direction of the aircraft;

compute a two-dimensional horizontal airspeed for the aircraft, using the steady wind data and the groundspeed data for the aircraft, wherein computing the two-dimensional horizontal airspeed for the aircraft further comprises combining the steady wind data and the groundspeed data for the aircraft;

compute relative changes in controls of the aircraft using the two-dimensional horizontal airspeed of the aircraft to look up the relative changes in a plurality of trim control two-dimensional lookup tables, each trim control two-dimensional lookup table defined at a different center of gravity of the aircraft relative to one another; and

apply the relative changes in controls of the aircraft, due to relative horizontal airspeed changes, to flight element control actuators aircraft, wherein the trim controls of the aircraft comprise aircraft rotor controls, aircraft attitude controls, and/or power controls, and applying the relative changes in trim controls of the aircraft through direct feed forward, and applying disturbance rejection through feedback loops to account for wind gusts.

6 . The aircraft flight control system of claim 5 , wherein the flight control computer is further configured to apply the relative changes in controls of the aircraft by performing an integration on a trim control rate.

7 . The aircraft flight control system of claim 5 , wherein the flight control computer is further configured to receive or retrieve the steady wind data from one or more onboard aircraft airspeed data sensors.

8 . The aircraft flight control system of claim 5 , wherein the flight control computer is further configured to compute the relative changes in controls of the aircraft based, at least in part, on existing aircraft loading and ambient conditions.

9 . An aircraft comprising:

a plurality of flight control elements;

a plurality of actuators driving the flight control elements; and

an aircraft flight control system comprising an aircraft flight control computer configured to:

receive or retrieve steady wind data comprising wind speed and wind direction in a current operational area of the aircraft, the steady wind data obtained from a station at a location where the aircraft is operating through a datalink to the aircraft flight control system;

retrieve groundspeed data for the aircraft comprising current groundspeed and direction of the aircraft;

compute a two-dimensional horizontal airspeed for the aircraft, using the steady wind data and the groundspeed data for the aircraft, wherein computing the two-dimensional horizontal airspeed for the aircraft further comprises combining the steady wind data and the groundspeed data for the aircraft;

compute relative changes in controls of the aircraft using the two-dimensional horizontal airspeed of the aircraft to look up the relative changes in a plurality of trim control two-dimensional lookup tables, each trim control two-dimensional lookup table defined at a different center of gravity of the aircraft relative to one another; and

apply the relative changes in controls of the aircraft, due to relative horizontal airspeed changes, to the flight element control actuators, wherein the trim controls of the aircraft comprise aircraft rotor controls, aircraft attitude controls, and/or power controls; and applying the relative changes in trim controls of the aircraft through direct feed forward, and applying disturbance rejection through feedback loops to account for wind gusts.