AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION SYSTEMS

Abstract

A navigation system for an aircraft fitted with an autopilot, the system comprising at least one ground-based transmitter (2), receiver means (7,8) mounted in the aircraft and including two antenna (5,6) oriented such that their polar diagrams overlap and are inclined with respect to the fore-and-aft axis of the aircraft. The system also comprises means (7,8) for deriving from the signals received by the antenna (5,6) from the, or a selected, transmitter (2) an error signal indicative of the angular difference between the heading of the aircraft and the heading of the, or a selected, transmitter (2) relative to the aircraft and applicable to the autopilot (12) to align the heading of the aircraft with the heading of the, or a selected, transmitter (2), and for deriving a signal representative of the distance of the aircraft from the, or a selected, transmitter (2), and means (9) responsive to the distance signal and operable to initiate a turn maneuver of the aircraft such that the latter will continually fly back and forth over the, or a selected, transmitter (2).

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Inventor

• 1NIGEL BROWNING

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