GB855371A - An aircraft control system - Google Patents

Abstract

855,371. Control systems. SOC. NATIONALE D'ETUDE ET DE CONSTRUCTION DE MOTEURS D'AVIATION. Nov. 28, 1957 [Dec. 4, 1956], No. 37154/57. Class 40 (1). [Also in Groups XXXIII and XXXV] An aircraft control system comprises a pilot's control, a gyroscope, and a rate gyroscope, producing variable electrical signals fed as inputs to an amplifier, the resultant output of which energizes one phase of a two-phase motor, the other phase being energized from a reference source, a distributer valve operated by the motor and connected to an hydraulic jack acting on the controlled member of the aircraft, and means operated by movement of the controlled member to develop a feed-back signal applied as an input to the amplifier. In the Figure, coils 2, 4 and 6 of a magnetic amplifier are connected to the diagonals of Wheatstone bridges 1, 3 and 5, potentiometers la, 3a and 5a of which are connected to a pilot's control member, an attitude gyroscope, and a rate gyroscope respectively. Other coils 23, 24 are energized by feed-back signals and power for the amplifier is supplied by a constantly energized coil 29. The output coil 7 energizes one phase of a bi-phase motor 8, the other phase being constantly energized over leads 9. The motor is driven at a speed and in a direction corresponding to the magnitude and phase of the output from coil 7, and operates through gearing 10 and a rack 11, the slider 12 of a valve controlling an hydraulic jack 15 connected by linkage 27, 17 to the member being controlled, e.g. a reaction propulsion jetdeflector device. The linkage 27 drives a potentiometer 21a in a Wheatstone bridge 21, deriving a position feed-back signal fed to coil 23. The linkage also drives a tachometer generator 22 providing a rate feed-back signal fed to coil 24. Since the rate of movement of the jack is proportional to the displacement of the valve 12, the rate feed-back signal may be derived from a potentiometer in a Wheatstone bridge 25 connected to the rack 11, as shown in broken lines. The magnetic amplifier may be replaced by an electronic amplifier, and the various potentiometers may be replaced by selsyns, microsyns or resolvers.