System and method for controlling flight path of a blown lift aircraft
In accordance with some embodiments, a system for controlling an aircraft is provided. The system can include a computing device, wherein the computing device includes at least one processor configured to control a flight path angle of the aircraft, and wherein the aircraft is a blown lift aircraft. The system can also include a control operator communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the control operator is configured to have at least two selectable settings. The system can also include at least two thrust-producing devices operatively coupled to a pair of wings on the aircraft and communicatively coupled to the computing device. The computing device may control the flight path angle of the aircraft by selectively operating the at least two thrust-producing devices based on a plurality of conditions provided by a plurality of sensors on the aircraft and a selected setting of the control operator.
1. A system for controlling an aircraft comprising:
a computing device, wherein the computing device includes at least one processor configured to control a flight path angle of the aircraft;
a control operator communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the control operator comprises a plurality of selectable predefined settings comprising at least cruise, off, and reverse, wherein a desired flight path angle is determined by a selected predefined setting of the plurality of selectable predefined settings;
a tunable adjuster operatively coupled to the control operator; and
at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing of a pair of wings of the aircraft and communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the computing device controls the flight path angle of the aircraft by selectively operating the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing based on a comparison of a calculated flight path angle of the aircraft and the desired flight path angle such that responsive to determining the desired flight path angle is not achieved, the computing device is configured to adjust a power level of at least one of the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing to achieve the desired flight path angle,
wherein the control operator is configured to provide coarse adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing based on the selected predefined setting and the tunable adjuster is configured to provide fine adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device further includes a display adapted to display a plurality of conditions.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control operator is a lever configured to travel through the plurality of selectable predefined settings.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selectable predefined settings further include takeoff and descent.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reverse setting of the plurality of selectable predefined settings is gated off.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control operator is a touchscreen on a user interface communicatively coupled to the computing device.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing are electric propulsion units.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor of the computing device is further configured to differentially control the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing based on a plurality of conditions provided by a plurality of sensors on the aircraft and a control operator setting from the plurality of selectable predefined settings.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of conditions comprises inputs from one or more of an air data module, an aircraft configuration module, a weight-on-wheels module, a power mechanism position for the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing, an aircraft attitude module, and an autopilot module.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor of the computing device is further configured to control the flight path angle of the aircraft using at least one of an algorithm, a lookup table, and a machine learned model.
11. A method for controlling an aircraft comprising:
receiving, at a computing device, a desired flight path angle determined by a selected predefined setting from a control operator, wherein the control operator has a plurality of selectable predefined settings comprising at least cruise, off, and reverse, wherein the control operator is communicatively coupled to the computing device, and wherein the computing device contains at least one processor configured to control a flight path angle of the aircraft;
evaluating a plurality of conditions from a plurality of sensors on the aircraft to determine a calculated flight path angle;
controlling the flight path angle of the aircraft by selectively operating at least one thrust-producing device on each wing of a pair of wings of the aircraft, wherein the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing is communicatively coupled to the computing device, and wherein controlling the flight path angle of the aircraft is based on a comparison of the calculated flight path angle and the desired flight path angle such that responsive to a determination that the desired flight path angle is not achieved, a power level of at least one of the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing is adjusted to achieve the desired flight path angle; and
receiving a tuning input from a tunable adjuster operatively coupled to the control operator, wherein the control operator is configured to provide coarse adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing based on the selected predefined setting and the tunable adjuster is configured to provide fine adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising operating, differentially, the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying a plurality of conditions to a user.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controlling step is based at least in part on at least one of an algorithm, a lookup table, and a machine learned model.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of selectable predefined settings correspond to modes of operation of the aircraft.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of selectable predefined settings further include takeoff and descent.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing are electric propulsion units.
18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:
receiving a desired flight path angle determined by a selected predefined setting of a control operator, wherein the control operator comprises a plurality of selectable predefined settings comprising at least cruise, off, and reverse;
evaluating a plurality of conditions from a plurality of sensors to determine a calculated flight path angle;
controlling a flight path angle of an aircraft by selectively operating at least one thrust-producing device on each wing of a pair of wings of the aircraft based on a comparison of the calculated flight path angle and the desired flight path angle such that responsive to a determination that the desired flight path angle is not achieved, a power level of the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing is adjusted to achieve the desired flight path angle; and
receiving a tuning input from a tunable adjuster operatively coupled to the control operator, wherein the control operator is configured to provide coarse adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing based on the selected predefined setting and the tunable adjuster is configured to provide fine adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing.