Aircraft attitude display system and method
View Patent ↗An attitude display system for use in an aircraft has at least one display unit visible by a pilot within a cockpit. A symbology generator is configured for receiving input from at least one attitude sensor and generating symbology image data representative of a pear-shaped attitude indicator, distorted vertically to represent a pitch of the aircraft and rotated to represent a roll angle of the aircraft. The symbology generator may further be configured for adding a horizontal line that represents a horizon, a regular trapezoid representing a downward gravity vector at a base of the trapezoid, a pitch angle of the aircraft, split wings representing an angle of attack of the aircraft, and a stall warning in a sawtooth crack shape. A tail portion of a T-shape with the curved top edge is itself curved in a direction opposite that of an aircraft spin direction.
1 . An attitude display system for use in a cockpit of an aircraft by a pilot, comprising:
at least one display unit visible by the pilot within the cockpit;
a symbology generator operatively coupled to the at least one display unit and configured for
receiving input from at least one attitude sensor;
generating symbology image data representative of a pear-shaped attitude indicator distorted vertically to represent a pitch of the aircraft and rotated to represent a roll angle of the aircraft, the pear-shaped attitude indicator having a thin upper neck area and a thicker base area;
providing the symbology image data to the at least one display unit;
wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator being wider at the base area when the pitch of the aircraft is nose down, the base area becoming wider as the nose down pitch increases; and
wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator being narrower at the neck area when the pitch of the aircraft is nose up, the neck area becoming thinner as the nose up pitch increases.
2 . The attitude display system of claim 1 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator in broken lines.
3 . The attitude display system of claim 1 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator in front of a horizontal line representing a horizon, the location of the pear-shaped attitude indicator with respect to the horizon line representing the pitch of the aircraft.
4 . The attitude display system of claim 1 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator in front of a regular trapezoid representing a downward gravity vector at a base of the trapezoid.
5 . The attitude display system of claim 1 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating symbology image data representative of a pitch angle of the aircraft.
6 . The attitude display system of claim 1 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a chevron shape centered within the at least one display unit.
7 . The attitude display system of claim 6 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a chevron shape having split wings at an angle representing an angle of attack of the aircraft, the greater the angle of attack the larger the split in the wings.
8 . The attitude display system of claim 7 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a chevron shape having a sawtooth crack shape as the aircraft approaches a critical angle of attack of between 0.90 to 0.95.
9 . The attitude display system of claim 8 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a T-shape with a curved top edge and having a sawtooth crack shape when the aircraft has stalled.
10 . The attitude display system of claim 9 wherein a tail portion of the T-shape with the curved top edge is itself curved in a direction opposite that of aircraft spin.
11 . The attitude display system of claim 7 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft including a triangle/trapeze type slip/skid indicator.
12 . The attitude display system of claim 7 wherein the symbology generator is configured for generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft including a ball/bars type slip/skid indicator.
13 . A method of displaying attitude information to a pilot in a cockpit of an aircraft, comprising the steps:
providing at least one display unit visible by the pilot within the cockpit that includes a symbology generator operatively coupled to the at least one display unit;
the symbology generator receiving input from the at least one attitude sensor of the aircraft;
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of a pear-shaped attitude indicator distorted vertically to represent a pitch of the aircraft and rotated to represent a roll angle of the aircraft, the pear-shaped attitude indicator having a thin upper neck area and a thicker base area;
the symbology generator generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator being wider at the base area when the pitch of the aircraft is nose down, the base area becoming wider as the nose down pitch increases;
the symbology generator generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator being narrower at neck area when the pitch of the aircraft is nose up, the neck area becoming thinner as the nose up pitch increases; and
the symbology generator providing the symbology image data to the at least one display unit.
14 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator in broken lines.
15 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator in front of a horizontal line representing a horizon, the location of the pear-shaped attitude indicator with respect to the horizon line representing the pitch of the aircraft.
16 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating the symbology image data representative of the pear-shaped attitude indicator in front of a regular trapezoid representing a downward gravity vector at a base of the trapezoid.
17 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of a pitch angle of the aircraft.
18 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a chevron shape having split wings at an angle representing an angle of attack of the aircraft, the greater the angle of attack the larger the split in the wings.
19 . The method of claim 18 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a chevron shape having a sawtooth crack shape as the aircraft approaches a critical angle of attack of between 0.90 to 0.95.
20 . The method of claim 19 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a T-shape with a curved top edge and having a sawtooth crack shape when the aircraft has stalled.
21 . The method of claim 20 further including the step:
a tail portion of the T-shape with the curved top edge being itself curved in an opposite direction of an aircraft spin.
22 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft including a triangle/trapeze type slip/skid indicator.
23 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft including a ball/bars type slip/skid indicator.
24 . The method of claim 13 further including the step:
the symbology generator generating symbology image data representative of the aircraft as a chevron shape centered within the at least one display unit.