Data communications concept for a SATS scenario

The small aircraft transportation system (SATS) concept envisions doorstop to destination transportation in a safe and timely manner. Data communications are a key component in achieving the aviation-related operational performance improvements that are sought. However, data communication doesn't start when you get into the aircraft; it starts back at the location where the flight is planned. In fact, data communications support the pilot in all phases of the flight: flight planning, pre-flight, departure, en route, transition, approach, landing, and rollout as well as for a missed approach. The Internet is being used to perform flight planning activities, and the mobile communications available today support Internet access en route to the departure airfield. On-board the aircraft, data communications provide surveillance and air traffic control (ATC) support to the pilot. The location of other aircraft is available to the pilot and ATC system through automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) and traffic information service-broadcast (TIS-B) applications that transmit the location of other aircraft in the vicinity. Other aircraft locations are used to forecast potential conflicts and, thus, enhance flight safety. As the aircraft nears a SATS-equipped airfield, the pilot uses data link messages to request a landing sequence. The airport management module (AMM) provides a landing sequence assignment to the aircraft. As the pilot maneuvers the aircraft for a landing, he/she is using data-linked surveillance data to determine the location of other aircraft and maintain a safe separation distance between aircraft even in a low visibility environment.     

Aeronautical information and meteorological data-link services

Aeronautical Information and Meteorological Management is a key component of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) global Air Traffic Management (ATM) operational concept. This global ATM concept is central to the Joint Planning and Development Office's (JPDO) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS), and underlies Europe's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) initiative. The availability of timely, accurate, and relevant aeronautical and meteorological information in the cockpit is critical for safe conduct of flight and forms the basis for Air Traffic Management (ATM) decision-making. The data-link of aeronautical and meteorological information will facilitate the creation of a common picture of the airspace situation for all flight crews, air traffic controllers, and airline operations personnel. Change notifications, timely warnings and alerts of threats to safe and efficient flight conduct will be enabled by these services. The ultimate goal is to provide access to on-line, real-time, quality information, and weather services to any aviation user, anytime, anywhere. In this framework, we present operational services and environment of the Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) and Meteorological (MET) data-link services envisaged to be implemented over the next decade in both Europe and the USA. It reflects concepts and system performance requirements currently developed by a joint EUROCAE (WG-76) / RTCA (SC-206) Committee. The envisaged AIM data-link services are presented: aeronautical updates both in textual and graphical fore, synchronization of aeronautical data between on-board and ground systems (exchange of permanent aeronautical data regardless of AIRAC cycles). The MET data-link services are also developed: weather planning, near-term, and reactive decision services.     

Space-based SSR constellation for global air traffic control

Advanced surveillance and communications are the main functions needed for an efficient Air Traffic Control/Management (ATC/ATM). In order to perform them over the entire Earth, a novel architecture is described and evaluated. It supplies the surveillance and data link capabilities of advanced Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) Mode S world-wide by means of a constellation of medium orbit satellites carrying SSR Mode S interrogators with phased-array antennas; no new equipment is required on-board aircraft, because the standard transponders are used. The rationale for the study, the system geometry, the link budget computation, the accuracy requirements as well as the subsequent design of the payload and of the optimized constellations needed for global coverage with high location accuracy are described. Moreover, details are given about the design of the spacecraft and of the main units of the space segment. The encouraging results of this overall system study pave the way to a demonstration based on simulators and ground prototypes of the critical parts     

All terrain ground collision avoidance and maneuvering terrainfollowing for automated low level night attack

The development of an all-terrain ground collision avoidance system (GCAS) in conjunction with a maneuvering terrain-following (TF) system is discussed. Both systems use a digital terrain database. These systems are presented concurrently because of their complementary mission role. The unprecedented pilot interaction available with the automatic systems provides a means to improve combat survivability significantly. The pilot is able to execute high rate turns, evasive maneuvers, and inverted ridge crossings while following the terrain contour. Safety is maintained in day, night and weather by the GCAS. The combination of these systems with an automated attack system, automatic target handoff system, night vision system, and a route planner to provide a lethal night attack capability is examined. Piloted simulation and preliminary flight test results are presented     

对流天气空域阻塞概率与阻塞指数模型

管制员高估对流天气的影响,发布不必要的流控指令,会使得航班过度延误;管制员低估对流天气的影响,会造成工作负荷的激增,也会使得航班飞行安全风险增大。为了准确评估空域受天气影响程度,减少管制员高估和低估天气影响次数,建立了特定方向对流天气空域阻塞概率模型和航路交通阻塞指数模型。测试结果表明,特定方向对流天气空域阻塞概率模型,用于衡量对流天气下交通流在各个方向被阻塞概率,为管制员决策是否允许航空器沿特定方向在扇区绕飞提供参考有实际意义;对流天气航路交通阻塞指数模型,用于衡量对流天气下沿航路交通流被阻塞的概率,为管制员决策是否允许航空器沿航路穿越对流天气提供参考是可行的。访谈数据表明,90%的参访者同意在这两个参数可得时,他们获取对流天气影响交通态势感知所需要的时间确实有所减少。     

F-35 联合仿真环境(JSE)研究

美国空军F-35 联合仿真环境(JSE)旨在消除露天试验场的限制,通过仿真满足未来作战试验需求,但目前 JSE 开发严重滞后。通过分析洛克希德·马丁公司、美国空军与海军相关资料,明确了 JSE 分区域构建通过接口集成不同类型的服务。同时,JSE通过软件架构与硬件设施建设满足初始作战能力要求,其复杂性导致开发进度缓慢。虽多次延期影响了F-35的初始作战试验鉴定,但美军继续推进相关建设工作,以解决当前试验鉴定的局限性。JSE代表了未来装备作战试验训练的发展方向,值得借鉴。     

民用飞机试飞规划与管理软件和飞行试验协同平台的接口研究与实现

针对试飞资源复杂多样的特点,阐述了在民用飞机试飞规划与管理软件和飞行试验协同平台间建立接口交联的必要。飞行试验协同平台接口应用计算机技术,借助民用飞机试飞规划与管理软件前端试验信息处理和管理功能,依托试飞任务单和试飞试验点,实现民用飞机试飞规划与管理软件对飞行试验协同平台试飞数据的读取和调用。经应用分析,通过开发接口能便捷地获取完整、准确的试飞数据,降低试飞成本,减少试飞工作量,提高试飞效率,有助于型号试飞工作的更顺利进行。     

主动控制技术(ACT)验证机工程飞行仿真系统设计

研究一种我国自行研制、开发的用于ＡＣＴ验证机的研制和试飞的多功能工程飞行仿真系统,分析了系统的设计概念、原则和功能要求,提出了面向多功能要求（全数字实时飞行仿真、电传飞控铁鸟台综合试验、飞行训练模拟和工程飞行仿真）的总体设计和总体结构,研究了ＡＣＴ验证机动力学特性的建模、仿真和提高仿真逼真度的方法。研究和开发了工程飞行仿真的实时管理软件系统和人机（用户）接口。系统应用实践和试飞飞行员的评价表明设计是成功的,是一种性能／价格比高的工程飞行仿真系统。     

飞机座舱多功能显示界面的实现

为了实现飞机座舱内用单屏可以进行多功能界面显示,提出了座舱内地形、交通、气象三者合一的多功能界面显示的方案。采用GL Studio和VC++6.0混合编程的方法,实现了地形、气象、交通、地形交通叠加以及气象交通叠加等5种显示模式,通过外部并口按键,可以实现5种模式以及两种显示范围的任意切换。测试结果表明,系统的设计可以使飞行员根据需要进行切换,及时了解当前的飞行环境,做出飞行决策,完成单屏多功能显示。     

ATM and FIS data link services

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently has under development data link services for Air Traffic Management (ATM), Flight Information Service (FIS), and communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS). These services will be provided over the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN), a worldwide data network intended to provide data communications connectivity among mobile aircraft, airlines, and civil aviation authorities. The ATM and FIS services currently under development are part of an evolutionary process that will begin, for the most part, with duplication of voice services. In the future, services will facilitate a common source of data for pilots, controllers, and flight planners, as well as computer-to-computer communications between ground based and airborne automation systems. These future services will provide benefits such as the use of optimum aircraft tracks and flight profiles     

The W-band data collection experiment of the DAVID mission

The data collection experiment (DCE) of the scientific mission DAVID (DAta and Video Interactive Distribution) of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) will pioneer the use of the W-band for telecommunications experiments. In particular the collection of high volumes of data from remote or virtually remote sites will be achieved through the exploitation of a W-band link in a time window of a few minutes per satellite pass. The experiment will hence demonstrate the capability of the W-band channel to be used reliably for a telecommunication link. At the same time, the experiment will provide useful elements for the characterisation of the W-band channel, in order to be able to design properly future operational systems working at W-band.     

直升机贴地飞行时人—机响应特性研究

本文分析和研究了驾驶员工作负荷、操纵功效和阻尼等对贴地飞行时直升机飞行品质的影响,导出了简化的驾驶员增益和驾驶员评定等级的工程计算公式,并与飞行试验数据进行了比较.结果表明,本文的方法可用于各种直升机的飞行试验和设计估算.     

Near term approach to data relay for satellites under test

The increasing need for a continuous communications link with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) spacecraft during test missions in low Earth orbit (LEG) has resulted in greater interest in geosynchronous data relay services. This may be a more economical alternative to building additional remote tracking stations for the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN), and avoids tying up operational assets for a test mission. A low-cost near-term approach for such a space-based data relay system would utilize two existing Defense Satellite Communication System III spacecraft, two existing ground terminals, and a small, standardized terminal using autonomous antenna pointing for the space vehicle under test. Such a system design is presented     

A Decision?Directed Adaptive Tracker

In the design of a tracking filter for air traffic control (ATC) applications, a maneuvering aircraft can be modelled by a linear system with random noise accelerations. A Kalman filter tracker, designed on the basis of a variance chosen according to the distribution of the potential maneuver accelerations, will maintain track during maneuvers and provide some improvement in position accuracy. However, during those portions of the flight path where the aircraft is not maneuvering, the tracking accuracy will not be as good as if no acceleration noise had been allowed in the tracking filter. In this paper, statistical decision theory is used to derive an optimal test for detecting the aircraft maneuver; a more practical suboptimal test is then deduced from the optimal test. As long as no maneuver is declared, a simpler filter, based on a constant-velocity model, is used to track the aircraft. When a maneuver is detected, the tracker is reinitialized using stored data, up-dated to the present time, and then normal tracking is resumed as new data arrives. In essence, the tracker performs on the basis of a piecewise linear model in which the breakpoints are defined on-line using the maneuver detector. Simulation results show that there is a significant improvement in tracking capability using the decision-directed adaptive tracker.     

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.     

The flying object: a flight data management concept

The drive for greater cost-effectiveness and improved safety/security in an environment of increasing air movements calls for improved availability of accurate and consistent flight data to stakeholder systems. Studies conducted by EUROCONTROL in 2001-2003 indicate significant levels of inconsistency between flight data available to aircraft operators, air traffic control (ATC), air traffic flow management (ATFM), airports and military systems, causing unnecessary workload, inefficient use of resources, and unnecessary delays. Eurocontrol's new flight data interoperability concept is intended to resolve this problem. Having passed through the initial feasibility phase, this concept is now entering the development phase, in which it will become the basis for the development of a draft interoperability standard to be used in Europe for the specifications of new flight data processing systems deployed from 2007 onwards, and potentially to be proposed to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for global standardisation.     

Aiding vertical guidance understanding

A study was conducted to evaluate training and displays for the vertical guidance system of a modern glass cockpit airliner. The experiment consisted of a complete flight performed in a fixed-base simulator with airline pilots. Three groups were used to evaluate a new flight mode annunciator display and vertical navigation training. Results showed improved pilot performance with training and significant improvements with the training and the Guidance-Flight Mode Annunciator. Using actual behavior of the avionics to design pilot training and FMA is feasible and yields better pilot performance.     

Distributed flight control system using fiber distributed datainterface (FDDI)

The design of fault-tolerant distributed control systems is discussed. The application described is a generic flight control system (FCS) for a fighter aircraft. The system is designed for high redundancy and expandability to meet various requirements. The communication network is based on the fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), which provides a high level of electromagnetic interference resistance and reliability. The choice of fiber optic media also provides an extremely high bandwidth and tremendous growth capability for future communications needs. This study is not specific to FDDI or flight control systems. The methods and configurations presented should be applicable to many real-time control implementations     

面向空管模拟机培训的智能应答机长研究

针对当前日益增长的空中交通管制员(以下简称“管制员”)培训需求以及传统管制员培训模拟机面临的效率低等问题,设计了 1个面向空管模拟机培训的智能应答机长系统。该系统利用语音识别、指令提取、指令复诵、语音合成等技术,能够实现对管制模拟培训过程中管制员语音的智能识别和理解,并模拟飞行员自动输出复诵指令的功能。通过对真实空管对话语音模式的研究和分析,制定了 1套详细的复诵规则,以适应不同场景下的管制指令复诵模式。此外,集成了特情处理模块以支持管制员特情处理培训。在真实管制培训环境下进行实验验证,结果表明,所提出的智能应答机长系统综合复诵准确率为 88.6%,可以有效提升管制员培训质量和效率,显著降低了人力成本。并且,该系统可以作为子系统集成到现有的管制员培训模拟机系统中,具有较强的便捷性和兼容性。