A manual-control approach to development of VTOL automatic landing technology.The operation of VTOL aircraft in the city-center environment will require complex landing-approach trajectories that insure adequate clearance from other traffic and obstructions and provide the most direct routing for efficient operations. As part of a larger program to develop the necessary technology base, a flight investigation was undertaken to study the problems associated with manual and automatic control of steep, decelerating instrument approaches and landings. The study employed a three-cue flight director driven by control laws developed and refined during manual-control studies and subsequently applied to the automatic approach problem. The validity of this approach was demonstrated by performing the first automatic approach and landings to a predetermined spot ever accomplished with a helicopter. The manual-control studies resulted in the development of a constant-attitude deceleration profile and a low-noise navigation system.
Document ID
19730050273
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kelly, J. R.
Niessen, F. R.
Garren, J. F., Jr. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, Va., United States)