JP2000225997A - Maneuver control device of propeller plane - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a maneuver control device capable of correcting swings round three axes resulting from a propeller during unsteady flying. SOLUTION: This control device 30 is fed with signals from navigation instruments 31 and various sensors such as a rotating speed sensor 32 to sense the rotating speed of an engine 11 to drive a propeller 12, a displacement sensor 33 for a control stick 19, a displacement sensor 34 for ladder pedal 20 and a displacement sensor 35 for power lever 21, and senses or predicts disturbance round three axes resulting from the torque action of the propeller 12, and calculates the operating amounts of the ladder 18 and an elevator 16 for setting off the disturbances. Actuators 36 and 37 are also controlled, to drive the ladder 18 and elevator 16 to apply necessary steering force.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering control device for a propeller aircraft having a propeller as a propulsion device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a steering control device that reduces swinging around three axes caused by rotation fluctuation of a propeller peculiar to a propeller aircraft.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Aircraft usually have a roll axis, a pitch axis,
Steering is performed by controlling the attitude around three axes called the yaw axis. Then, in order to perform stable posture control, it is preferable to minimize the fluctuation around the axis other than the target.

[0003] The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-141394 is one of such attitude control techniques, and describes a damper function for suppressing fluctuation around an axis which causes a change in attitude during automatic steering.

[0004]

On the other hand, in a propeller aircraft having a propeller as a propulsion device, the torque generated by the combined force of the engine and the propeller, that is, the gyro action, the unbalanced load, the wake action, and the propeller torque of the propeller. A different force acts on the fuselage than a jet aircraft, causing the aircraft to oscillate about its axis. The effects of these forces have been corrected to be as small as possible at the design and manufacturing stages.However, during non-steady flight, non-steady flight such as acceleration / deceleration, turning, climbing / descent, etc. The impact needs to be corrected.

The technique disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-141394 relates to an automatic pilot device for a jet aircraft, and there is no description or suggestion about the correction of the fluctuation of the propeller aircraft around the axis during unsteady flight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering control device for a propeller aircraft, which corrects the sway around three axes caused by the propeller during an unsteady flight.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, a steering control device for a propeller aircraft according to the present invention includes a propeller rotation detecting device for detecting a rotation state of a propeller, and an airframe in response to a change in the rotation state of the propeller. And control means for predicting the yaw motion to occur and operating the yaw control mechanism to reduce the yaw control mechanism.

In a propeller aircraft, when the rotation speed of the propeller fluctuates during acceleration / deceleration, a yawing force is added due to a propeller reaction force and a propeller wake, and yaw motion occurs. By predicting the yaw motion accompanying the fluctuation of the rotation state of the propeller and performing control to reduce the yaw motion, the attitude stability of the body around the yaw axis during acceleration / deceleration is increased, and the steering becomes easy.

This propeller rotation detecting device detects the rotation speed of an engine that drives the propeller to determine the rotation status of the propeller, or the rotation status of the propeller based on the operation position information of the power lever. Is preferable.

[0010] The rotational state of the propeller depends on the rotational speed of the engine that drives the propeller, and the engine rotational speed is controlled by the operator operating the power lever. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the rotation state of the propeller from the engine speed or the operation position information of the power lever.

[0011] Alternatively, a steering control device for a propeller aircraft according to the present invention includes an aircraft angle of attack detection device for detecting a state of an angle of attack of the aircraft of a propeller aircraft, and a yaw motion generated in the aircraft in response to a change in the angle of attack of the aircraft. Control means for predicting and operating the yaw control mechanism to perform control for reducing the yaw control mechanism;
It is characterized by having.

In a propeller aircraft, when the angle of attack of the fuselage fluctuates, a yaw force is generated by precession due to the gyro effect of the propeller. Further, when the angle of attack of the aircraft is large, the yaw force is also added due to the imbalance of the propeller thrust. By predicting the yaw motion generated by these yaw forces from the angle of attack of the aircraft and performing control to reduce this, the attitude stability of the aircraft around the yaw axis increases regardless of the angle of attack, and the maneuvering becomes It will be easier.

This aircraft angle of attack detecting device is a device for determining the state of the angle of attack of the aircraft based on the operation information of the steering device, or of the aircraft based on the angle of attack and the operation information of the steering device. An apparatus for determining the state of attack is preferred.

The angle of attack of the aircraft is controlled mainly by controlling an elevator (elevator). Therefore,
This can be estimated based on the operation information of the pilot's control device. Further, by referring to the angle of attack, more accurate estimation is possible.

Preferably, the yaw control means of these devices controls the yaw control mechanism in accordance with the state of attack and the state of rotation of the propeller.

By controlling the yaw control mechanism in accordance with the state of attack angle and the state of rotation of the propeller, fine control becomes possible.

Preferably, these yaw control mechanisms are rudder (rudder). According to this, the rudder operation of the operator for yaw control is reduced.

Alternatively, the steering control device for a propeller aircraft according to the present invention operates a turning condition detecting device for detecting a turning condition of the propeller aircraft, a pitch motion generated in the body according to the turning condition, and operates a pitch control mechanism. And control means for performing control for reducing this.

In a propeller aircraft, in a turning state, a pitch force is added in a precession by the gyro effect of the propeller, and pitch motion occurs. By predicting this pitch motion from the turning state of the body and performing control to reduce this, the attitude stability of the body around the pitch axis in the turning state is increased, and the steering becomes easy.

Preferably, the turning state detecting device is a device that determines the turning state based on the angle of attack of the aircraft and the roll operation of the control device.

The turning of the airframe is performed by operating the aileron (auxiliary wing) to incline the airframe around the roll axis. At this time, the angle of attack is also affected. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the turning state based on the roll operation and the angle of attack.

Preferably, the pitch control mechanism is an elevator. According to this, the elevator operation of the operator for the pitch control is reduced.

[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent elements in each drawing as much as possible, and duplicate description will be omitted.

Prior to the description of the embodiment, first, a behavior peculiar to a propeller aircraft will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the entire propeller aircraft.

The propeller aircraft 1 is a single-shot type aircraft having a body 10 provided with one propeller 12 driven by an engine 11 (not shown). The propeller aircraft 1 has a main wing 13 as a control surface for controlling the rotation around three axes. , An elevator 16 on the horizontal stabilizer 15, and a rudder 18 on the vertical stabilizer 17.
Steering by 0. Hereinafter, as shown in the figure as a coordinate system representing the behavior of the aircraft, the X-axis is set in the front-rear direction of the aircraft 10, the Y-axis is set in the left-right direction, and the Z-axis is set in the up-down direction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the swings around these three axes. FIG. 2A illustrates rolling, which is rotation about the X axis in which the wing tip moves up and down, and occurs mainly when the aileron 14 is operated to turn the body 10. FIG. 2 (b) shows the nose swinging motion of the nose up and down, that is, pitching, which is rotation about the Y axis, and is mainly generated when the elevator is operated to ascend and descend. FIG. 2 (c) shows the nose swinging motion of the nose left and right, that is, yawing which is rotation around the Z axis, and mainly occurs when the rudder is operated to change the traveling direction.

Next, a description will be given of the torque action of the propeller which causes the swinging around the three axes for the purpose of correcting the present invention. This torque action includes, as described above, a.
Gyro action of propeller, b. Propeller imbalance load,
c. Wake action of the propeller, d. There are four types of reaction, torque. Hereinafter, a description will be given of an example of a single-engine aircraft having one propeller for propulsion at the nose portion, in which the propeller is rotating clockwise as viewed from the nose direction.

First, the gyro action of the propeller a will be described. When an external force is applied to the propeller, which is a rotating body, the rotating shaft is displaced as if a force of the same magnitude was applied to a point advanced by 90 degrees in the rotating direction from the point of action. The amount and speed of this deflection is directly proportional to the magnitude and time of the applied external force. This is a phenomenon called precession.
In other words, if you try to turn the nose down, the nose is left, if you try to turn the nose up, the nose is right, if you try to turn the nose left, the nose is up, and the nose is If you try to turn to the right, the nose will swing down.

Next, the unbalanced load of the propeller in b is due to the fact that when there is an angle between the airflow and the rotation axis of the propeller, the relative speed between the airflow and the propeller blade differs at a position in the plane of rotation. This is a phenomenon in which the thrust generated in the plane of rotation of the propeller becomes uneven. In other words, when the nose is raised with respect to the airflow, the relative speed with respect to the airflow is larger when the propeller blade moves downward than when it moves upward, and a large thrust is generated. This thrust difference tends to shift the nose to the left. This phenomenon has a greater effect as the airspeed of the aircraft is lower.

Next, the wake action of the propeller (c) is the effect of the air disturbed by the propeller on the airframe. The air disturbed by the propeller flows backwards in a clockwise spiral to generate a wake. This wake hits the left side of the vertical tail, which normally extends to the top of the fuselage, and pushes the vertical tail to the right, causing the nose to deflect to the left. Some aircraft have modified the attachment of the vertical tail in anticipation of this wake effect during design and production, but this modification is usually adjusted to cancel the wake effect in cruising conditions. However, when the cruise condition is not set, the wake action is different, which causes a nose deviation.

Finally, the reaction of the torque d is a reaction to rotate the aircraft in a counterclockwise direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the propeller. Since the wings are usually designed symmetrically, this torque reaction is corrected using a steering device, especially a trim tab mounted on the trailing edge of the aileron. The reaction of the torque greatly appears when the thrust of the propeller, that is, the engine power is increased or decreased.

Based on the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the steering control device of the present invention.

The steering control device includes an arithmetic unit 30. The arithmetic unit 30 includes navigation instruments 31 for detecting the state of the fuselage, the angle of attack of the fuselage, the yaw angle, the airspeed, and the like.
A rotation speed sensor 32 that detects the rotation speed of the engine 11 that drives the propeller 12, a control stick displacement sensor 33 that detects the displacement of the control stick 19, a ladder pedal displacement sensor 34 that detects the displacement of the rudder pedal 20, and a driver's operation Accordingly, the respective measurement outputs of the power lever displacement sensor 35 that detects the opening of the power lever 21 that adjusts the thrust of the engine 11 are input. On the other hand, the output of the arithmetic unit 30 includes an electric ladder actuator 36 for driving the ladder 18, an electric elevator actuator 37 for driving the elevator 16, and an electric actuator for driving the aileron 14 (not shown). Each is connected to an aileron actuator.

In a small aircraft, aileron 14,
In general, a system in which the elevator 16 and the rudder 18 are directly connected to the control stick 19 and the rudder pedal 20 to perform steering by human power, but in this embodiment, the control stick 1 is used.
9. The operator's input to the rudder pedal 20
Is converted into an electric signal, and is sent as a control signal to an actuator connected to each control surface to perform a fly-by operation.
The wire system is adopted. It is preferable to add a device for adding resistance to steering to the control stick 19 and the rudder pedal 20. Instead of the electric actuator, an electric hydraulic pump and a hydraulic actuator may be used in combination.

The arithmetic unit 30 detects the operating state of the control stick 19, rudder pedal 20, and power lever 21 of the operator by the sensors 33, 34, and 35, and detects the rotation speed of the engine 11 by the rotation speed sensor 32. The yaw motion and the pitch motion caused by the torque action of the propeller 12 are predicted on the basis of these and the state information of the airframe sent from the navigation instruments 31, and the actuators 36 and 37 are controlled so as to reduce these. Ladder 1
8. The elevator 16 is driven to stabilize the body 10 so as not to move unnecessarily.

Hereinafter, some specific control modes will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, a description will be given of correction control of yawing generated by the wake action of the propeller and the reaction of torque when the engine speed fluctuates. When the engine speed increases, yawing to the left occurs due to the wake action of the propeller and the reaction of the torque. On the other hand, when the engine speed decreases, yawing to the right occurs. Conventionally, these yawings have been corrected by the operator operating the rudder.

[First Control Mode] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the first control mode. In this control mode, a yaw motion generated based on the yaw angular acceleration and the rudder pedal position is detected, and the yaw motion detected by the rudder operation is corrected.

First, in step S1, the yaw angular acceleration is read. This is obtained by differentiating the yaw angle measured by the navigation instruments 31 with the arithmetic unit 30 over time. Next, in step S2, the presence or absence of yawing is determined by comparing the obtained yaw angular acceleration γ with the threshold γ1. If the yaw angular acceleration γ is less than the threshold value γ1, it is determined that there is no yawing, and the process ends without performing the yaw motion correcting operation. If the yaw angular acceleration γ is equal to or larger than the threshold γ1, it is determined that there is yawing, and the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the presence or absence of a rudder operation is determined by comparing the ladder operation amount δγ with the threshold δγ1. When the rudder operation amount δγ is equal to or larger than the threshold value δγ1, it is determined that the ladder operation is performed, and the yawing is caused by the ladder operation, the correction operation is not performed, and the process is terminated. On the other hand, if the rudder operation amount δγ is less than the threshold value δγ1, it is determined that there is no rudder operation, and it is determined that yawing is not due to the rudder operation but due to the torque action of the propeller, and the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, a necessary yaw correction amount Cγ is calculated from the yaw angular acceleration amount γ. This calculation is performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S5, the obtained yaw correction amount Cγ
Is output from the arithmetic unit 30 to the ladder actuator 36, and the ladder 18 is operated to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Since the effect of the correction appears later due to the inertial motion of the airframe 10, in step S6, the time for performing the correction by the timer counter is limited to control so that excessive correction is not performed.

In the present control mode, the yaw movement itself is detected and the correction control is performed based on the detected yaw movement. Therefore, there is an advantage that the yaw movement due to the influence of the air flow can be corrected.

[Second Control Mode] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the second control mode. In this control mode, a yaw motion is predicted from the engine speed and a correction operation of the yaw motion predicted by the ladder operation is performed.

First, in step S11, the engine speed NE measured by the engine speed sensor 32 is read. Subsequently, in step S12, this engine speed
Compare NE with the threshold value NE1.

If the engine speed NE is equal to or greater than the threshold value NE1, it is determined that the engine speed itself is a speed at which yaw motion is generated, and the process proceeds to step S13 to read the engine speed change ΔNE. . This is obtained by calculating the amount of change in the engine speed NE per unit time by the arithmetic unit 30. Subsequently, in step S14, the engine speed change ΔNE thus read
Is compared with a threshold value ΔNE1. If the engine speed change ΔNE is less than the threshold value ΔNE1, it is determined that the engine speed change ΔNE alone is not a fluctuation that causes yaw motion,
The process proceeds to step S15 to calculate the yaw correction amount Cγa1 from the value of the engine speed NE. This calculation is performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S16, the calculated yaw correction amount C
γa1 is output from the arithmetic unit 30 to the ladder actuator 36, and the ladder 18 is operated to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Since the effect of the correction appears late due to the inertial motion of the airframe 10, in step S17, the time for performing the correction by the timer counter is limited so that excessive correction is not performed, and the correction control is ended.

If the engine speed change .DELTA.NE is equal to or larger than the threshold .DELTA.NE1 in step S14, it is determined that the engine speed change .DELTA.NE is also a fluctuation that causes yaw motion, and the routine proceeds to step S18, where the engine speed is changed. The yaw correction amount Cγa2 is calculated from the values of NE and the engine speed change ΔNE. As in the calculation of Cγa1, this calculation is also performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S19, similarly to step S16, the rudder 18 is operated in accordance with the obtained yaw correction amount Cγa2 to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Then, similarly, the process proceeds to step S17, control is performed so that excessive correction is not performed, and the correction control ends.

If the engine speed NE is less than the threshold value NE1 in step S12, it is determined that the engine speed itself is not the speed at which yaw motion is generated, and step S2 is performed.
0, this time the engine speed change ΔNE and the threshold Δ
Compare with NE1. The calculation of ΔNE is the same as in step S13. If the engine speed change ΔNE is less than the threshold value ΔNE1, it is determined that the engine speed change ΔNE is not a fluctuation that causes the yaw motion, and the yaw motion correction control is not performed, and the control process ends. If the engine speed change ΔNE is equal to or greater than the threshold value ΔNE1, it is determined that the engine speed change ΔNE is a change that causes yaw motion, and step S
The process proceeds to 21 to calculate the yaw correction amount Cγb. This calculation is also performed based on the characteristics of the airframe in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30 in the same manner as the above-described calculation of Cγa1.

In step S22, similarly to step S16, the rudder 18 is operated in accordance with the obtained yaw correction amount Cγb to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Then, similarly, the process proceeds to step S17, control is performed so that excessive correction is not performed, and the correction control ends.

In this control mode, since the yaw motion is predicted from the engine rotation state and the necessary yaw correction amount is calculated and the correction control is performed, the control amount is smaller than the case where the control is performed after the yaw motion occurs. Has the advantage that it can be corrected quickly.

[Third Control Mode] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the third control mode. In this control mode, the yaw motion is predicted from the operation position information of the power lever, and a correction operation of the yaw motion predicted by the rudder operation is performed.

First, in step S31, the position information PL of the power lever 21 measured by the power lever displacement sensor 35 is read. The power lever position information PL takes a larger value as the engine output required by the driver increases. That is, the engine speed NE increases as the power lever position PL increases. Subsequently, in step S32,
The power lever position PL is compared with the threshold value PL1.

If the power lever position PL is equal to or greater than the threshold value PL1, it is determined that the engine output is an output that generates yaw motion, that is, the engine speed, and the routine proceeds to step S33, where the power lever position change ΔPL Read. This is obtained by calculating the amount of change in the power lever position PL per unit time by the arithmetic unit 30. Subsequently, in step S34, the thus read power lever position change ΔPL is compared with a threshold value ΔPL1. If the power lever position change ΔPL is less than the threshold ΔPL1,
It is determined that the engine output change is not a change that causes yaw motion by itself, and the process proceeds to step S35 to calculate the yaw correction amount Cpla1 from the value of the power lever position PL. This calculation is calculated in advance based on the characteristics of the aircraft,
This is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S36, the calculated yaw correction amount C
The pla1 is output from the arithmetic unit 30 to the ladder actuator 36, and the ladder 18 is operated to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Since the effect of the correction appears later due to the inertial motion of the airframe 10, in step S37, the time for performing the correction by the timer counter is limited so that excessive correction is not performed, and the correction control is ended.

If the power lever position change ΔPL is equal to or greater than the threshold value ΔPL1 in step S34, it is determined that the engine output fluctuation is also a fluctuation that causes yaw motion, and the flow shifts to step S38 to change the power lever position PL and the power lever position PL. The yaw correction amount Cpla2 is calculated from the value of the power lever position change ΔPL. This calculation is also performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, similarly to the calculation of Cpla1, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S39, similarly to step S36, the rudder 18 is operated in accordance with the obtained yaw correction amount Cpla2 to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Then, similarly, the process proceeds to step S37, where control is performed so that excessive correction is not performed, and the correction control ends.

If the power lever position PL is smaller than the threshold value PL1 in step S32, it is determined that the engine output itself is not an output for generating yaw motion, that is, not the engine speed, and the process proceeds to step S40. Compares the power lever position change ΔPL with the threshold value ΔPL1. The calculation of ΔPL is the same as in step S33. If the power lever position change ΔPL is less than the threshold value ΔPL1, it is determined that the engine output fluctuation is not a fluctuation that causes the yaw movement, and the yaw movement correction control is not performed, and the control processing ends. If the power lever position change ΔPL is greater than or equal to the threshold ΔPL1,
It is determined that the engine output fluctuation is a fluctuation that causes the yaw motion, and the process proceeds to step S41 to calculate the yaw correction amount Cplb. This calculation is also performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30 in the same manner as the calculation of Cpla1 described above.

In step S42, similarly to step S36, the rudder 18 is operated in accordance with the obtained yaw correction amount Cplb to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Then, similarly, the process proceeds to step S37, where control is performed so that excessive correction is not performed, and the correction control ends.

In this control mode, the yaw motion is predicted from the power lever input of the operator, the necessary yaw correction amount is calculated, and the correction control is performed. Therefore, the control is performed in comparison with the case where the control is performed after the yaw motion occurs. The advantage is that the amount is small and can be corrected quickly. Further, there is an advantage that the prediction control can be performed before the engine speed actually fluctuates.

According to the first to third control modes, the yaw motion generated when the engine speed is increased or decreased is effectively corrected to stabilize the attitude and facilitate the pilot's operation. be able to.

Next, a description will be given of a control for correcting yawing caused by an unbalanced load of the propeller when the angle of attack is large. When the nose is upward and the positive angle of attack is large, such as when climbing, yawing to the left is caused by the unbalanced load of the propeller as described above. On the other hand, when the nose points downward and the negative angle of attack increases, the yaw to the right occurs due to the unbalanced load of the propeller. Conventionally, the yaw has been corrected by operating the rudder.

[Fourth Control Mode] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a fourth control mode. This control form predicts the yaw motion that will occur based on the angle of attack and the engine speed,
The yaw motion predicted by the rudder operation is corrected.

First, in step S51, the angle of attack of the aircraft 10 measured by the navigation instruments 31 is read. next,
In step S52, the obtained angle of attack α and the threshold α
Compare 1. If the angle of attack α is smaller than the threshold value α1, it is determined that yaw correction is not necessary, and the process is terminated without performing the yaw motion correction operation. If the angle of attack α is equal to or larger than the threshold α1, it is determined that yaw correction is necessary, and step S
Go to 53.

In step S53, the engine speed NE is read from the engine speed sensor 32. In step S54, a necessary yaw correction amount Cαne is calculated from the angle of attack α and the engine speed NE. This calculation is performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S55, the calculated yaw correction amount C
αne is output from the arithmetic unit 30 to the ladder actuator 36, and the ladder 18 is operated to perform yaw correction of the machine body 10. Since the effect of the correction appears later due to the inertial motion of the airframe 10, in step S56, the time for performing the correction by the timer counter is limited to control so that excessive correction is not performed.

In this control mode, the necessary yaw correction amount is calculated by predicting the yaw motion generated from the angle of attack and the engine speed, and the yaw correction control is performed. Therefore, the necessary correction control can be performed quickly.

[Fifth Control Mode] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a fifth control mode. This control mode predicts a yaw motion generated based on a pitch control input of a control stick and an engine speed, and performs a correction operation of the yaw motion predicted by a ladder operation.

First, in step S61, pitching operation information δe of the control stick 19 performed by the operator measured by the control stick displacement sensor 33 is read. The pilot has an angle of attack α
The control stick 19 is operated so that the pitching operation information δe becomes larger as the value of. Accordingly, the arithmetic unit 30 controls the elevator actuator 37 to drive the elevator 16 such that a steering force is generated such that the greater the pitching operation information δe, the greater the angle of attack α of the fuselage.

Next, in step S62, the obtained pitching operation information δe is compared with a threshold δe1. If the pitching operation information δe is less than the threshold value δe, it is determined that yaw correction is not necessary, and the process ends without performing the yaw motion correction operation. If the pitching operation information δe is equal to or greater than the threshold δe, it is determined that yaw correction is necessary, and the process proceeds to step S63.

In step S63, the engine speed NE is read from the engine speed sensor 32. In step S64, a necessary yaw correction amount Cδene is calculated from the pitching operation information δe and the engine speed NE. This calculation is performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S65, the calculated yaw correction amount C
δene from the arithmetic unit 30 to the ladder actuator 36
The yaw correction of the body 10 is performed by operating the rudder 18. Since the effect of the correction appears late due to the inertial motion of the airframe 10, in step S66, the time for performing the correction by the timer counter is limited, and control is performed so that excessive correction is not performed.

Also in this control mode, since the necessary yaw correction amount is calculated by predicting the yaw motion generated from the pitch control input and the engine speed and the yaw correction control is performed, the necessary correction control can be quickly performed. .

The above-described first control mode can be suitably applied to the yaw correction control generated by the imbalanced load of the propeller. Whichever control mode is used, it is possible to reduce the yawing generated by the unbalanced load of the propeller, stabilize the attitude of the aircraft, and facilitate the pilot's operation.

Finally, a description will be given of the control for correcting the pitching that occurs in the precession due to the gyro effect at the time of turning and pitch fluctuation. That is, the pitch is lowered during a right turn by the precession, the pitch is raised during a left turn,
When the pitch is raised, yaw to the left is generated, and when the pitch is lowered, yaw to the right is generated. Conventionally,
These were corrected by the operator operating the elevator and rudder, respectively.

[Sixth control mode] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a sixth control mode. In this control mode, a pitch motion generated during turning is detected from an attack angle and a control input value of a control stick, and a pitch motion predicted by an elevator operation is corrected.

First, in step S71, the angle of attack α of the aircraft 10 measured by the navigation instruments 31 is read. Next, in step S72, the rolling operation information δa of the control stick 19 performed by the pilot measured by the control stick displacement sensor 33 is read and compared with the threshold δa1. Here, the pilot operates the control stick 19 so that the rolling operation information δa increases as the driver turns sharply. Therefore, the arithmetic unit 30 controls the aileron actuator (not shown) to control the aileron 14 so that the larger the rolling operation information δa, the smaller the turning radius, that is, the greater the roll angle. Drive. If the obtained rolling operation information Δa is smaller than the threshold value Δa1, it is determined that pitching due to rolling does not occur, and the subsequent pitch motion correction processing is not performed, and the processing ends.

On the other hand, when the rolling operation information δa is equal to the threshold δa1
In the above case, next, in step S73, the control stick 1 measured by the control stick displacement sensor 33 and operated by the operator.
9 is read and compared with the threshold value δe1. The pilot operates the control stick 19 so that the pitching operation information δe increases as the angle of attack α increases. Therefore, the arithmetic unit 30 controls the elevator actuator 37 to drive the elevator 16 such that a steering force is generated such that the greater the pitching operation information δe, the greater the angle of attack α of the body. When the pitching operation information δe is equal to or larger than the threshold value δe, it is determined that pitching correction is not necessary, and the process ends without performing the pitch motion correction operation. Pitching operation information δe is threshold δe
If it is less than the threshold, it is determined that pitching correction is necessary, and the process proceeds to step S74.

In step S74, a required pitch correction amount Cδa is calculated from the angle of attack α and the rolling operation information δa. This calculation is calculated in advance based on the characteristics of the aircraft,
This is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S75, the calculated pitch correction amount Cδa is output from the arithmetic unit 30 to the elevator actuator 37, and the elevator 16 is operated to correct the pitch of the machine body 10. Since the effect of the correction appears later due to the inertial motion of the airframe 10, in step S76, the time for performing the correction by the timer counter is limited, and control is performed so that excessive correction is not performed.

According to this, the raising and lowering of the nose caused by the precession at the time of turning can be effectively reduced, and the turning can be easily performed while maintaining the target altitude.

[Seventh control mode] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a seventh control mode. In this control mode, yaw motion generated when the nose is raised or lowered is detected from the acceleration value of the angle of attack and the control input value of the control stick, and the yaw motion predicted by the rudder operation is corrected.

First, in step S81, the yaw angle γ of the body 10 measured by the navigation instruments 31 is read, and the arithmetic device 30 calculates the yaw angular acceleration Δγ, which is the time derivative thereof. Next, in step S82, pitching operation information δe of the control stick 19 performed by the pilot measured by the control stick displacement sensor 33 is read and compared with a threshold δe1.
The pilot operates the control stick 19 so that the pitching operation information δe increases as the angle of attack α increases. Therefore, the arithmetic unit 30 controls the elevator actuator 37 to drive the elevator 16 such that a steering force is generated such that the greater the pitching operation information δe, the greater the angle of attack α of the body. If the obtained pitching operation information δe is less than the threshold value δe, it is determined that yaw due to the precession caused by raising and lowering the nose does not occur, and the process ends without performing the subsequent yaw motion correction process.

On the other hand, if the pitching operation information δe is equal to or larger than the threshold value δe, it is determined that yawing due to the precession due to the raising and lowering of the nose occurs, and the process proceeds to step S83, where the measurement is performed by the control stick displacement sensor 33. The rolling operation information δa of the control stick 19 performed by the pilot is read and compared with the threshold value δa1. Here, the pilot operates the control stick 19 so that the rolling operation information δa increases as the driver turns sharply. Therefore, the arithmetic unit 30 controls the aileron actuator (not shown) to control the aileron 14 so that the larger the rolling operation information δa, the smaller the turning radius, that is, the greater the roll angle. Drive. Rolling operation information δ
If a is equal to or larger than the threshold value Δa1, it is determined that there is no need for yaw motion correction, and the process ends without performing the correction process. If the rolling operation information δa is less than the threshold value δa1, it is determined that yaw motion correction is necessary, and the process proceeds to step S84.

In step S84, a necessary yaw correction amount Cδe is calculated from the yaw angular acceleration Δγ and the pitching operation information δe. This calculation is performed based on the characteristics of the machine in advance, and is performed by reading necessary values from a map stored in the arithmetic unit 30.

In step S85, the obtained yaw correction amount C
δe is output from the arithmetic unit 30 to the ladder actuator 36, and the ladder 18 is operated to perform yaw correction of the body 10. Since the effect of the correction appears later due to the inertial motion of the airframe 10, in step S86, the time for performing the correction by the timer counter is limited, and control is performed so that excessive correction is not performed.

According to this, the yaw motion generated by the precession at the time of raising and lowering the nose can be effectively reduced, and ascending while maintaining the horizontal course,
The descent can be easily performed.

Note that these controls are all examples, and these controls may be combined, or a part of the control in each mode may be replaced with another mode.

The correction amount may not be obtained in advance and stored in the arithmetic unit as a map but may be obtained by calculation.
It may be stored in the arithmetic unit in the form of an equation.

In the above description, the embodiment applied to the fly-by-wire type steering system has been described.
The present invention is not limited to a fly-by-wire type steering system. FIG. 11 shows that the ladder 18 is
3A shows a yaw control mechanism of the present invention applied to the steering system of a general small machine directly connected to a rudder pedal.

This yaw control mechanism comprises a servo tub 18a grounded to the rudder 18 and an electric or hydraulic actuator 36a for driving the servo tub 18a. Then, by the arithmetic unit 30 controlling the actuator 36a,
The yaw correction is performed by driving the servo tab 18a. Although not shown in the drawing, the elevator and aileron are also provided with servo tabs, and each servo tab is driven by an actuator. This corrective steering system is independent of the pilot's steering system.Even in the event of a failure, the servo tub has a narrower control range than rudder, elevator, and aileron, preventing the pilot from controlling the attitude. There is no need to provide a backup system. The fly-by-wire method is more cost-effective than having to multiplex systems as a fail-safe measure.

[0093]

As described above, according to the control apparatus for a propeller aircraft of the present invention, when the engine speed fluctuates, the nose raises, lowers, turns, etc., the torque is generated by the propeller torque action. Since the yaw motion and the pitch motion that disturb the posture of the aircraft to be performed can be reduced, the maneuver for changing to the intended posture, course, or the like of the aircraft becomes easier and stable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an outline of a propeller aircraft.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the swing of the aircraft of FIG. 1 around three axes.

FIG. 3 is an overall block diagram of a steering control device for a propeller aircraft according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a first control mode of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a second control mode of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a third control mode of the apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a fourth control mode of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a fifth control mode of the apparatus in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a sixth control mode of the apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a seventh control mode of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing another yaw control mechanism of the steering control device for a propeller aircraft according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... propeller aircraft, 10 ... fuselage, 11 ... engine, 1
2 ... propeller, 13 ... main wing, 14 ... aileron, 15 ... horizontal tail, 16 ... elevator, 17 ... vertical tail, 18 ... rudder, 18 a ... servo tab, 19 ... control rod, 20 ... rudder pedal, 21 ... power lever , 30 ... arithmetic unit, 3
1 ... navigation instruments, 32 ... engine speed sensor, 33 ...
Control stick displacement sensor, 34 ... rudder pedal displacement sensor, 3
5: Power lever displacement sensor, 36: Rudder actuator, 37: Elevator actuator.

Claims (11)

[Claims] An operation control device for a propeller aircraft having a propeller as a propulsion device, comprising: a propeller rotation detection device for detecting a rotation state of the propeller; and a propeller aircraft generated in an airframe of the propeller aircraft in response to a change in the rotation state of the propeller. Control means for predicting yaw motion to occur, and performing control to operate the yaw control mechanism to reduce the yaw control mechanism. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the propeller rotation detecting device determines a rotation state of the propeller by detecting a rotation speed of an engine that drives the propeller.
A flight control device for a propeller aircraft as described. 3. The propeller aircraft flight control device according to claim 1, wherein the propeller rotation detecting device determines a rotation state of the propeller based on operation position information of a power lever. 4. A flight control device for a propeller aircraft having a propeller as a propulsion device, wherein: a fuselage angle of attack detecting device for detecting a state of an angle of attack of the fuselage of the propeller aircraft; A control device for a propeller aircraft, comprising: control means for predicting yaw motion occurring in the body of a propeller aircraft, operating a yaw control mechanism, and performing control to reduce the yaw control mechanism. 5. The control device for a propeller aircraft according to claim 4, wherein the aircraft angle of attack detection device determines a state of the angle of attack of the aircraft based on operation information of the pilot device. 6. The steering control of a propeller aircraft according to claim 4, wherein the aircraft angle of attack detection device determines the state of the angle of attack of the aircraft based on the angle of attack and operation information of the control device. apparatus. 7. The control of a propeller aircraft according to claim 4, wherein said yaw control means controls said yaw control mechanism in accordance with a state of attack angle and a propeller rotation state. Control device. 8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said yaw control mechanism is a rudder. 9. A steering control device for a propeller aircraft having a propeller as a propulsion device, wherein: a turning state detecting device for detecting a turning state of the propeller aircraft; and a pitch motion generated in an airframe of the propeller aircraft in accordance with the turning state. And control means for performing control to operate the pitch control mechanism and reduce the pitch control mechanism, and a control device for a propeller aircraft, comprising: 10. The steering control device for a propeller aircraft according to claim 9, wherein the turning state detection device determines a turning state based on an angle of attack of the aircraft and a roll operation of the control device. 11. The control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pitch control mechanism is an elevator.