General aviation aircraft avionics: integration & system tests

The avionics of current-day aircraft is termed as modular integrated full glass cockpit. Unlike lots of dials and gauges, the pilot will interact with Multi-Function Displays (MYD). This means that the systems are coupled with multi-function displays, communication and navigation radios with control units, multi-mode interactive instruments for control and navigation, recording and fault management systems, airframes and health monitoring diagnostic capabilities. Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) is an important measure of good avionics and cockpit layout, which implies the optimization of man-machine interface, enhancement of the economy, and safety of flight operations. This presents the avionics architecture of a 14-seat Light Transport Aircraft (LTA) for general aviation, which has multi-role commuter capabilities. LTA is a twin turbo-prop, multi-role aircraft, with air taxi and commuter services as its primary roles. The avionics is built on the digital communication mode for both command and control with current requirements of TCAS, digital Autopilot, and AMLCD multi-purpose glass displays. The LTA Avionics suite is grouped into six major groups based on functionality: Display System, Communication System, Navigation System, Recording System, Radar System, and Engine instruments and other cockpit displays. This paper also covers details about the extensive tests carried out to prove the avionics design in terms of functionality, inter-operability, interference, and compatibility. Various practical integration and flight-test issues, methodologies, and details of the scenarios is presented herein.     

Neural networks in nonlinear aircraft flight control

This paper describes an approach for incorporating a neural network with real-time learning capability in a flight control architecture. The architecture is also applicable, in general, for the control of processes described by nonlinear differential equations of motion in which there exists a control for each degree of freedom. The main features are that the defining equations of motion for the process to be controlled are poorly known with respect to their functional forms, and that the functional forms, themselves, may undergo sudden and unexpected variation. It is well known that such systems are difficult to control, particularly when the effect of the control action enters nonlinearly. Numerical results based on 6DOF simulations of a high performance aircraft are presented to illustrate the potential benefits of incorporating neural networks as a part of a flight control system architecture     

Security, Internet connectivity and aircraft data networks

Internet connectivity which was in experimental stages only a few years ago is a reality today. Current implementations allow passengers to access Internet for pleasure and in some cases secure VPN access is provided to corporate networks. Several researchers are looking at the possibility of the existence of a total of three networks: passenger network (PN); crew network (CRN); and the control network (CON). Researchers envision an architecture where these three networks will co-exist in an airplane. The available Internet connectivity can be utilized for transporting flight critical information like cockpit flight data recorder (CFDR) data, digital flight data recorder (DFDR) data, cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data, and controller pilot data link communication. In addition, the Internet connectivity could also be used for other safety mechanisms like video surveillance and remote control of the flight. Security is one of the major concerns that affect the successful deployment of aircraft data networks (ADN) and other safety features. Several studies have been carried out to secure the network using firewalls and intrusion detection system but so far no study has focused on securing the communication channel (between the aircraft and the ground station) and its impact on the ADN. The scope of this research is to determine the viability and need of a security mechanism. The research also focuses on the performance of different security architectures and determine their usability in the framework of an ADN.     

民机材料适航要求与标准化需求

介绍了民机材料适航性要求及国内材料适航方面的差距,分析了航空材料标准现状和民机研制对材料标准化的需求,提出了今后民机材料标准化的工作重点。     

High-speed avionic optical fiber CDMA networks

With applications of systems integration technology to advanced aircrafts, high-speed and high-capacity optical fiber communication networks should be employed to support airborne broadband communication services. To guarantee real-time multiuser communications over a network, the selection of medium-access schemes is critical for avionics applications. In this paper, we briefly discuss the issues on high-speed multiple-access techniques and their applicability. Then we focus on the design and operation aspects of avionic optical fiber code-division multiple access (CDMA) networks. Some practical considerations on implementing such a CDMA network are also addressed and further improvement is pointed out. It is shown that avionic optical fiber CDMA networks can find a use in real-time avionic sensor data distribution, data exchange, and computer interconnects     

Military qualification of a high-reliability, light-weight 24 V/30Ah aircraft battery

The United States Navy has flown Valve Regulated Lead-Acid Batteries (VRLA) for approximately 18 years. The first VRLA aircraft batteries were cylindrical cell design and evolved to a prismatic design to save weight, volume, and to increase rate capability. This paper discusses the next generation of the VRLA aircraft battery. The HORIZON composite grid VRLA design reduces weight, increases high rate performance, and is expected to increase service life. This paper discusses the weight reduction over the present 30 Ah prismatic VRLA aircraft battery design; improvements in high rate engine start performance, and present status of the development effort. Finally, the paper discusses the applications for the 30 Ah composite grid VRLA aircraft battery, and shows the future application opportunities for light-weight VRLA, both in the military and commercially     

从军用基础教练机的发展看新型基础教练机的技术需求

近年来,随着新一代高级教练机产生并逐渐装备,飞行员培训目标发生变化,基础教练机在教练机体系中的角色与定位也在不断的调整与优化.本文从军用基础教练机的发展历史及未来发展趋势入手,以飞行员培训目标为核心,综合权衡考虑平台性能、系统功能、训练效益等方面的要求,梳理并探讨了新型基础教练机的技术需求.     

Fly-by-wire T & E challenge [aircraft test pilot handling compensation]

Systems developers and testers have always assumed that human compensation is measurable, or, at least, that a cognizant and trained tester is able to identify and detect compensation. More than one study conducted at the Wright-Patterson large amplitude multi-mode aerospace research simulator (LAMARS) facility indicates that this is not necessarily true. Test pilots were able to compensate sufficiently to fly and meet defined performance standards on intentionally crippled aircraft flight control designs. These flight control systems were designed to trigger pilot-induced oscillations, but, in most cases, test pilots could compensate sufficiently to prevent pilot-induced oscillations and to control the simulated aircraft. Anecdotally, this points to a colossal deficiency in the test of highly augmented aircraft systems that has been borne out by multiple aircraft accidents in actual aircraft designs: natural pilot compensation is sufficient to allow faulty designs to reach production and operational service while hiding critical handling qualities cliffs that can lead to loss of an aircraft. This observation, if applied across the gamut of human factors experimentation, has vast ramifications for test and evaluation and development of all human interface systems.     

军地一体化维修保障的主体博弈分析

<正>以建立军地一体化维修保障新模式为研究目标,构建军队与地方企业的博弈模型,为实现我国军地一体化维修提供理论支撑。我国现行的军事装备维修保障采用的是统分结合模式,但随着新军事变革和社会主义市场经济的不断发展,军地一体化维修保障的新模式由此应运而生。     

SVSS: Intelligent video surveillance system for aircraft

Safety and security are the most discussed topics in the aviation field. The latest security initiatives in the field of aviation propose [1I] the aircraft carriers to implement video surveillance within the aircraft at strategic locations. The current proposals allow the video surveillance data to be stored within the aircraft and monitored by one of the flight crew. The monitoring crew will be responsible for identifying the anomaly within the aircraft and take necessary preventive actions. With the introduction of additional technology within the aircraft, mere human perception may not be sufficient to make a decision. In this research work, the authors explore the possibility of implementing a smart video surveillance system (SVSS) within the aircraft that is tuned toward detecting the behavioral anomaly within the aircraft. The SVSS will generate security triggers when it detects an anomaly within the aircraft. These triggers could be combined with other triggers generated by different aircraft components (possible alarms from the flight crew, data traffic anomaly, or alarm generated by one of the avionics components) to provide a better understanding of the situation to the monitoring crew.     

军工科技成果商品化和产业化的研究

军工科研院所的成果能转化成商品的不到15％,能实现产为化的不到3％。而成果的商品化,产业化决定着科研院所的生存与。在成果商品化的过程中,技术带头人充当重要角色,并把转化后的利益与其挂钩。在成果产业化的过程中,应该是企业家和经营管理充当主角。因为产业能否强大,取决于经营的管理能力和资本运作水平。具体地操作方式有,组建股份制、确定合适的企业、自主加工与委托加工结合三种。商品化和产业化,最终实现科研院所自身的发展。     

军用飞机交互式电子技术手册研发探讨

介绍了军用飞机交互式电子技术手册(IETM)的重要意义,阐述了IETM的概念、等级划分及特点,对国内军用飞机IETM的研制情况做了简要分析,在此基础上提出了IETM的研发原则和几点建议。     

Synthetic vision: a prototype display concept for commercial aircraft

The synthetic vision implementation discussed in this paper comprises elements in the navigation display, the vertical profile display, and the primary flight display. The design rationale is provided based on an overview of the intended functions, options to implement these functions, and the justifications used in the selection of a specific option.     

Wind detection in a microcosm: Ship/aircraft environment sensors

One of the most demanding aspects of a Navy helicopter pilot's job is landing his aircraft on the flight deck of a pitching, rolling, heaving and yawing ship. The complex airwake velocity field associated with the ship and aircraft interface directly affects the pilot's ability to control the aircraft during takeoff, approach, hover, landing, and deck operations. Dynamic Interface (DI) testing is performed to define safe aircraft operational envelopes; however, not all conditions can be realized within the limited test period and asset/condition availability. In addition, exact wind conditions that affect the aircraft cannot be measured with existing wind sensors. These sensors measure wind in the ship's mast area which does not represent the wind flow field encountered by the aircraft. A means of non-intrusively measuring the appropriate wind data is required. This paper presents an overview of the unique aspects of the ship/aircraft interface, the overall naval DI environment and the sensor requirements for measuring this complex environment     

军民合作带来军机维修的整体性

提高军机的战备状态、缩小供应链的规模和降低成本的关键是基于性能的后勤保障(PBL)合同.可使军民合作更为密切,可以合理的价格为部队提供所需的可用率.     

Individual aircraft life monitoring: An engineering approach for fatigue damage evaluation

Individual aircraft life monitoring is required to ensure safety and economy of aircraft structure, and fatigue damage evaluation based on collected operational data of aircraft is an integral part of it. To improve the accuracy and facilitate the application, this paper proposes an engineering approach to evaluate fatigue damage and predict fatigue life for critical structures in fatigue monitoring. In this approach, traditional nominal stress method is applied to back calculate the S-N curve parameters of the realistic structure details based on full-scale fatigue test data. Then the S-N curve and Miner’s rule are adopted in damage estimation and fatigue life analysis for critical locations under individual load spectra. The relationship between relative small crack length and fatigue life can also be predicted with this approach. Specimens of 7B04-T74 aluminum alloy and TA15M titanium alloy are fatigue tested under two types of load spectra, and there is a good agreement between the experimental results and analysis results. Furthermore, the issue concerning scatter factor in individual aircraft damage estimation is also discussed.     

E-CATS: First time demonstration of embedded training in a combat aircraft

Air Forces are facing difficulties in training pilots effectively for their missions. Due to a reduction of defense budgets, fewer resources can be made available for training. In addition, airspace available for training is limited, especially in Europe, and this is aggravated by the increase in the range of advanced weapon systems. Moreover, only few Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) sites are available for suitable training.Embedded Training (ET) is considered to be a potential solution for these problems. ET for fighter aircraft is a capability installed in an operational fighter to train the pilot while operating the aircraft in a situation it was designed for, but which is not available in everyday life. Thereto, the ET capability generates simulated threats and feeds them into the various avionics systems of the aircraft. This allows pilots to train against a virtual force, or a virtually augmented real force. Benefits of employing ET include cost reduction (fewer real aircraft are needed to act as enemy), use of smaller training airspace (simulated threats may move outside this space), and the potential to train anywhere, at any time.NLR, Dutch Space, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) have jointly developed an ET system to demonstrate the feasibility of current technology for implementing an ET capability in fighter aircraft. The system, installed in an RNLAF F-16B, supports training for ground-to-air and (one-versus-two) air-to-air engagements. It consists of two units; one unit executes the ET simulations and provides most of the required interfaces with aircraft systems, while the other unit is dedicated to interfacing with the radar processing chain.The system was evaluated by demonstrating it to a group of pilots and engineers and collecting their expert opinions. It was concluded that embedded training has considerable value for a variety of training objectives related to Beyond Visual Range tactics, and it is expected that embedded training will play an important role in the future mission training of fighter-aircraft pilots.     

Neural networks: implementations and applications

Artificial neural networks, also called neural networks, have been used successfully in many fields including engineering, science and business. This paper presents the implementation of several neural network simulators and their applications in character recognition and other engineering areas     

Fuel cell status: 1996

The technology of fuel cells is heating up. A world that, ten years ago, was unaware of the concept can now witness approximately 200 fuel cell units operating in 15 countries. Energy planners and decision makers are becoming aware that, in addition to a continual increase in installations, the reliability of early commercial units is outstanding and the cost is dropping. They have begun to ask whether fuel cells might fit into their future. While the fuel cell concept is simple, determining which type of fuel cell to consider may prove taxing. The multiplicity of fuel cells and their development programs, coupled with the amount of subject material and claims-versus-reality, may seem overwhelming. Fuel cell commercialization activities in North America are the focus of five manufacturers that are developing four types [fuel cells are typed by electrolyte: the 200°C phosphoric acid (PAFC); the 80°C proton exchange membrane (PEM); the 650°C molten carbonate (MCFC); and the 1,000°C solid oxide (SOFC) fuel cells]. Each fuel cell promises the attractive combination of fairly high efficiency and superior environmental performance compared to the presently available fossil-fueled electric generation technologies. As a result, fuel cells are particularly easy to site. There are additional advantages such as: excellent availability; electrical VAR control; quick ramp rate; remote/unattended operation; and redundancy when multiple units are installed. After earlier success in space, fuel cells are being applied to the commercial sector as on-site cogeneration units mostly fueled by natural gas. They are being considered for larger distributed generators (natural gas) and for vehicular power plants (methanol)     

Electric generators: technology status

The use of generators by the military is examined. The factors determining generator size and weight for a given power rating and the generator scaling laws are discussed. Size and weight reduction is shown to be primarily a function of improvements in material properties and cooling techniques