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This study presents an image processing algorithm capable of calculating selected flight parameters requested by flight control systems to guide aircraft along the horizontal projection of the landing trajectory. The parameters identified based on the basics of the image of the Calvert light system appearing in the on-board video system are used by flight control algorithms that imitate the pilot’s schematics of control. Controls were generated using a fuzzy logic expert system. This study aims to analyse an alternative to classical solutions that can be applied to some specific cases.

The paper uses theoretical discussions and breakdowns to create the basics for the development of structures for both image processing algorithms and control algorithms. An analytical discussion on the first stage was transformed into laboratory rig tests using a real autopilot unit. The results of this research were verified in a series of software-in-the-loop computer simulations.

The image processing method extracts the most crucial parameters defining the relative position of the aircraft to the runway, as well as the control algorithm that uses it.

In flight control systems that do not use any dedicated ground or satellite infrastructure to land the aircraft.

This paper presents the original approach of the author to aircraft control in cases where visual signals are used to determine the flight trajectory of the aircraft.

A proposal of the perspective solution of the general aviation aircraft control system is presented. The objective of the proposed concept for the control system is to assist pilots with limited aviation training by: automatic stabilization of the aircraft's attitude, altitude, airspeed, and heading and decoupling of the flight controls. The structure and main functions of the control system is presented, and method of control laws synthesis is proposed. Flight control system is based on the model‐following design technique. Two kinds of flight control systems are taken into consideration. The first solution is based on the optimal full‐state feedback controller, the second one is the simplified controller, using the easy observed states for feedback loop only. The project calculation of the flight control system for PZL‐110 “Koliber” aircraft, computer simulations and preliminary flight testing results will be presented.

The purpose of this paper is to overview the systems and their elements developing for supporting the less-skilled pi-lots.

Several European (like EPATS, SAT-Rdmp, Pplane, Esposa, Clean Sky2) and national projects (NASA SATS, Hungarian SafeFly) develop the personal/small aircraft and personal/small aircraft transportation systems. The projects had analysed the safety aspects, too, and they underlined the aircraft will be controlled by so-called less-skilled pilots (owners, renters), having less experiences. The paper defines the cross-connected controls, introduces the methods of subjective analysis in pilot decision processes, improves the pilot workload model, defines the possible workload management and describes the developing pilot decision support system.

Analysing the personal/small aircraft safety aspects, a unique and important safety problem induced by less-skilled pilots has been identified. The considerable simplification of the air-craft control system, supporting the pilot subjective decisions and introducing the pilot work-load management, may eliminate this problem.

Only the system elements have been used in concept validation tests.

The developing pilot supporting system in its general form has on - board and ground sub-systems, too, except a series of elements integrated into the pilot cockpit environment and control system. Several system elements (sensors, integrated controls, etc.) might be implement now, but the total system need further studies. The subjective decision process needs further development of the methodology and concept validation.

The system may catalyse the society acceptance of the personal aircraft and their safer piloting, applicability.

The paper introduces an original supporting system for less-skilled pilots.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the general idea, design, and implementation of control system for general aviation aircraft which reduces pilot workload.

Proposed indirect flight control system framework is intended to simplify piloting, reduce pilot workload, and allow low‐end general aviation aircraft to operate under deteriorated meteorological conditions. Classical control theory is used for the design of the flight control laws. Although not inherently robust, controllers with classical control logic are made sufficiently stable using a correct and updated controller structure.

Despite controversies between perception of a modern manned aerial vehicle and limitations imposed by legacy airworthiness codes it is shown that a pilot workload reducing system can be successfully implemented onboard of a low‐end general aviation aircraft.

Hi‐level control laws and optimization of handling qualities can lead to unfavourable and unpredictable forms of man‐machine interactions, e.g. pilot‐induced oscillations.

General aviation aircraft are mostly flown by a single pilot, who could benefit from an intelligent system or “virtual copilot” assisting in or supervising the aircraft's safe operation under any conditions. Aircraft with this capability represents a next step in the evolution that might ultimately lead to trajectory‐based free‐flight concept of aircraft operations.

The paper introduces a safety enhanced digital flight control system on board small general aviation aircraft.

Smiths Industries is to supply the head‐up display system for the Sea Harrier. The company will design, develop and make the electronic head‐up display and weapon aiming computer system for the latest version of the HS Harrier which will operate from Royal Navy ships.

The purpose of this paper is to study the control strategy of transition mode of the stopped-rotor (SR) aircraft under the condition of redundant control and complex aerodynamic characteristics.

This paper first proposes a transition strategy for the conversion between helicopter mode and fixed-wing mode. Then, aiming at the redundancy of the two control systems in the transition process, a control model is proposed, which greatly simplifies the control in conversion mode. Then, to facilitate the design of the control system, the Takagi-Sugeno model of the SR aircraft in transition mode is established. Finally, an explicit model tracking and tuning parameter stability augmentation control system is designed, so that the SR aircraft has a good stability during the transition process. Then, the outer loop control system of transition flight is designed.

The simulation results show that the control strategy proposed in this paper can realize the mode conversion well. It lays a solid foundation for the subsequent engineering flight test for the SR aircraft.

The work done in this paper provides ideas and methods for the flight control system design of SR aircraft in transition mode. The method of designing control model to solve the coordination of redundant control system is also applicable for other multimode aircraft, which provides a simple and convenient method for the multimode aircraft control.

This new paper aims to combine the recent new contributions about direct data driven control and other safety property to form an innovative direct data driven safety control for aircraft flight system. More specifically, within the framework of direct data driven strategy, the collected data are dealt with to get the identified plant and designed controller. After reviewing some priori information about aircraft flight system, a closed loop system with the unknown plant and controller simultaneously is considered. Data driven estimation is proposed to identify the plant and controller only through the ratios of two correlation functions, computed from the collected data. To achieve the dual missions about perfect tracking and safety property, a new notion about safety controller is introduced. To design this safety controller, direct data driven safety controller is proposed to solve one constrain optimization problem. Then the authors apply the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions to derive the explicit safety controller.

First, consider one closed loop system corresponding to aircraft flight system with the unknown plant and feed forward controller, data driven estimation is used to identify the plant and feed forward controller. This identification process means nonparametric estimation. Second, to achieve the perfect tracking one given transfer function and guarantee the closed loop output response within one limited range simultaneously, safety property is introduced. Then direct data driven safety control is proposed to design the safety controller, while satisfying the dual goals. Third, as the data driven estimation and direct data driven safety control are all formulated as one constrain optimization problem, the KKT optimality conditions are applied to obtain the explicit safety controller.

Some aircraft system identification and aircraft flight controller design can be reformulated as their corresponding constrain optimization problems. Then through solving these constrain optimization problems, the optimal estimation and controller are yielded, while satisfying our own priori goals. First, data driven estimation is proposed to get the rough estimation about the plant and controller. Second, data driven safety control is proposed to get one safety controller before our mentioned safety concept.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, some existing theories about nonparametric estimation and tube model predictive control are very mature, but few contributions are applied in practice, such as aircraft system identification and aircraft flight controller design. This new paper shows the new theories about data driven estimation and data driven safety control on aircraft, being corresponded to the classical nonparametric estimation and tube model predictive control. Specifically, data driven estimation gives the rough estimations for the aircraft and its feed forward controller. Furthermore, after introducing the safety concept, data driven safety control is introduced to achieve the desired dual missions with the combination of KKT optimality conditions.

The purpose of this paper is to present analysis and primary evaluation of different control laws implemented on experimental indirect (fly‐by‐wire) flight control system designed for perspective general aviation aircraft.

The control law tests have been accomplished on the flight simulation stand equipped with side‐stick, throttle lever and flight instrument display. Every evaluator was caring out 2‐4 five min instrument flights (IR) according to command shown on the screen. PZL‐110 general aviation aircraft properties and seven modes of control system operation were modeled and examined.

Results of evaluation by 45 commercial pilots are analyzed and handling qualities of the small aircraft equipped with the indirect flight control system (fly‐by‐wire) have been examined. In this way, the most convenient control law was chosen for design the user‐friendly, human‐centered, simplified software‐based flight control system.

The result of research can be implemented on real indirect flight control system dedicated to general aviation aircraft.

This paper presents the practical approach for analysis of handling qualities of general aviation aircraft equipped with indirect flight control system. This kind of works concern to military and transport airplanes are known, however there are no published work in the area of small aircraft so far.

THE Farnborough 1966 Show was at first glance much the same mixture as before, but the second glance was the more revealing. The participation in the flying display of European aircraft by no means swamped the air, even if the Italian verve took the acrobatic honours, but the theme of collaboration with other countries was to be found on practically every stand inside the exhibition tent. It was obvious that the smaller firms not directly involved in production agreements with other nations were very export conscious. The pacemaker of all this collaboration was of course the Concorde, only to be seen in model form, but rapidly taking shape at Toulouse and Filton, and many of the equipment manufacturers had Concorde hardware on display. Beagle announced the Pup, Britten‐Norman produced the production Islander, and Handley Page showed the Jetstream mock‐up. After many years of neglect, the industry is now taking an interest in the general aviation market. The P.1127 (R.A.F.) made its first appearance. The paradox of the P.1127 is that it is almost a part of Farnborough history, yet there is no other V/S.T.O.L. aircraft in the world that has but a fraction of the operating experience it has gained. Farnborough this year gave the impression of being more a serious trade show, and less a public spectacle. Sir Richard Smeeton, Director of the Society of British Aerospace Companies, reported that the exhibiting firms had received more serious business enquiries this year than ever before, and he forecast that 1968 would be a vintage year, which would see the appearance of the HS.801, the Concorde and Jaguar in the Farnborough skies. It is not possible to cover every exhibit shown at the Farnborough Show, but the following report describes a wide cross‐section beginning with the exhibits of the major airframe and engine companies.

This aircraft, or more exactly this integrated weapons system, is undoubtedly of major importance to both the British aircraft industry and the Royal Air Force. It is beyond question the most exacting project which the British industry has undertaken and as such has demanded adoption of the latest techniques, materials, equipment and management procedures as well as pursuit of research and development programmes on an unprecedented scale. In terms of air power, this system represents a substantial advance on any comparable aircraft or system currently in service and will give the Royal Air Force a strike and reconnaissance capability at high and low level which is possibly unmatched by any other air force in the world. The design philosophy of the TSR‐2 as it applies to an aircraft designed primarily for the high‐speed, low‐level strike/reconnaissance role was described in detail in the December 1963 issue of Aircraft Engineering (Ref. 1) but since that initial appraisal of the TSR‐2 was written some eleven months ago, there has been a gradual release of further information concerning the aircraft, its systems, power plant and equipment. It is the purpose of this article to bring the story up to date in that particular context, although it should be emphasized that the TSR‐2 is still subject to the strictest security embargo and it will be many years before a detailed study of the complete weapons system can be published. It is not intended to cover the same ground as the earlier article (Ref. 1) attempted but, before proceeding to detailed consideration of the systems, a brief overall description of the aircraft is given for the sake of completeness.