Panel-mounted aircraft control stick
A panel-mounted control stick for aircraft providing for roll and pitch input that emulates the response of a traditional floor-mounted control stick. The panel-mounted control stick incorporates a pitch beam input assembly and a roll input assembly for translating the movements of the control stick into movements of aircraft control surfaces.
1. A panel-mounted control module for controlling an aircraft comprising:
an input translating member having a longitudinal axis, and a first end and a second end disposed at opposing ends of the longitudinal axis;
a first rotational translation member attached to a first end of the input translating member;
a handgrip attached to a second end of the input translating member;
a multi-directional connecting member rotateably attached to the first rotational translation member with a first rotational axis;
a second rotational translation member rotateably attached to the multi-directional connecting member with a second rotational axis;
wherein the first rotational axis is substantially perpendicular to the second rotational axis; and
the first rotational axis is disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the input translating member; and
the longitudinal axis of the input translating member intersects the second rotational axis in or substantiall adjacent to the multi-directional connectin member; and
the longitudinal axis of the input translating member intersects the first rotational axis in or substantially adjacent to the multi-directional connecting member.
2. The control module of claim 1 wherein lateral translation of the second end of the input translating member describes an arc.
3. The control module of claim 2 wherein the arc is a portion of the circumference of a circle with its center on the first rotational axis.
4. The control module of claim 3 wherein the center of the circle is substantially located near the floor of the aircraft beneath the second end of the input translating member.