GB309205A - Improvements in and relating to the control of aeroplanes - Google Patents

Abstract

309,205. Beedle, H. W., Rackett, P. E., and Gay, E. Oct. 6, 1927. Steering and balancing ; planes, construction of.-An aeroplane provided with a pendulous mass, such as the pilot's chair, so as to control the lateral and longitudinal balance automatically, through the usual universally mounted hand lever, has means for freeing the hand lever from the automatic control to enable the controls to be actuated manually. Upwardly opening valves may be provided near the leading edge of the plane adapted to be raised together or separately bv manual means which, when both valves are raised, can be coupled to the automatic means for controlling the elevator and ailerons. A chair 16 suspended from a universal joint 17 has a downwardly projecting rod 28 normally connected by a bar 30 to the lower end of a control lever 18 which actuates the ailerons and elevator through cables 5<a>, 7<a>. The rod 28 is connected by three normally slack cables 17<a> passing through holes in a fixed ring 19 to an outer ring 20. When the ring 20 is rotated about the ring 19 by a cable 22 actuated by a handlever 26, the cables 17a are drawn taut to centre the rod 28, and simultaneously a cable 29 passing through the control lever 18 is slackened to lower the bar 30 out of engagement with the lever 18. Fig. 12 shows a modification in which the ailerons and elevator are controlled by nods 5, 7 connected to a lever 4a universally jointed at the same point as the chair frame 16. When automatic operation is desired a bolt 34 is raised into engagement with a recess 37 in the lever 4a. Fig. 7 shows a valve flap 12 adapted to be raised against the pull of a spring 14 to open a passage through the plane near each tip and adjacent to the leading edge.