Airborne windshear detection and warning system
View Patent ↗An airborne windshear detection and warning system includes a pitot tube for detecting the airspeed of an aircraft and an angle of attack vane for detecting an aircraft's angle of attack. Signals are generated and fed to a signal processor for determining a relationship between the airspeed and the aircraft's angle of attack. A signal indicative of the aircraft's normal relationship plus or minus a preselected value is also input into the signal processor. Then when the actual relationship exceeds the normal value plus or minus the preselected value for a preselected period of time, a signal is generated by the signal processor and is an indication of a hazardous windshear. A warning is then given to the pilot to take immediate corrective action.
1. An airborne windshear detection and warning system comprising:
means indicative of the airspeed of an aircraft;
means indicative of an aircraft's angle of attack;
computer means for computing changes in the relationship between airspeed and angle of attack and for generating a signal indicative of a hazardous windshear when a change in the relationship between airspeed and angle of attack exceeds a preselected level for a preselected period of time.
2. An airborne windshear detection and warning system according to claim 1 , which includes means for warning a pilot of a hazardous windshear.
3. An airborne windshear detection and warning system comprising:
airspeed sensing means for generating a first signal indicative of an aircraft's airspeed;
angle of attack sensing means for generating a second signal indicative of an aircraft's angle of attack;
signal processing means for processing said first and said second signals to detect an increase in airspeed without a corresponding decrease in angle of attack or a decrease in airspeed without a corresponding increase in angle of attack and for generating a signal indicative of a change in the relationship between the airspeed and angle of attack of the aircraft; and
means for generating a signal indicative of the proximity of a hazardous windshear when the signal indication of a change in the relationship between the airspeed and angle of attack exceeds a preselected level for a preselected period of time.
4. An airborne windshear detection and warning system according to claim 3 , which includes means for warning a pilot of the proximity of a hazardous windshear.
5. An airborne windshear detection and warning system according to claim 4 , in which said airspeed sensing means includes a pitot tube and said angle of attack sensing means includes an angle of attack vane.
6. A method for detecting a hazardous windshear from an airborne aircraft comprising the steps of:
detecting the airspeed of an aircraft and generating a first signal indicative of the aircraft's airspeed;
detecting an aircraft's angle of attack and generating a second signal indicative of the aircraft's angle of attack;
processing the first and second signals to establish a relationship between the aircraft's airspeed and the aircraft's angle of attack;
sensing changes in the relationship between the aircraft's airspeed and the aircraft's angle of attack; and
warning a pilot of a hazardous windshear when the changes in the relationship between the aircraft's airspeed and the aircraft's angle of attack exceed a preselected amount for a preselected period of time.