GB995058A - Improvements in or relating to automatic aircraft flying-control systems - Google Patents

Abstract

995,058. Controlling turbine powered aircraft. SOC. FRANCAISE D'ENTRETIEN ET DE REPARATION DE MATERIEL AERONAUTIQUE. Aug. 20, 1963, No. 32973/63. Heading B7G. An aircraft having port and starboard turbine engines, e.g. jet propulsion engines, is provided with apparatus sensitive to the compressor delivery pressure of the engines and coupled to the rudder linkage so that asymmetric variations in engine power deflect the rudder to provide a compensating jarring movement. Figs. 4 and 6 show examples of apparatus for twin-engined aircraft. In Fig. 4 a jack is formed by a cylinder 20 containing a piston 29, each face of which is exposed to the compressor pressure of one of the engines, and which is connected through shear pins 28 to a plate 16 to a rudder actuating cable 11. The piston is provided with grooves 30 which act as labyrinth seals, or alternatively may be replaced by metal bellows. In Fig. 6, two pistons 31a, 31b are provided in a cylinder 32 with a central partition, the compressor pressure being introduced on each side of this partition. The pistons are connected by rods 38 and are sealed by rolling diaphragms (Fig. 9, not shown). Where more than two engines are provided, a jack may be provided for each pair of engines (Fig. 12, not shown), the jacks being connected in series, or a stepped piston may be used (Fig. 13) offering a different piston face to the compressor pressure of each engine. The areas of the various piston faces are sized according to the yawing moment produced by failure of the corresponding engine. Each piston chamber communicates with a pilot operated valve by which it may be either vented or connected to the compressor delivery.