This study examines the usefulness of providing cockpit automation training to career-minded pilots using automation equipment commonly found in small training airplanes. After mastering a set of tasks and maneuvers of varying difficulty using a small-airplane GPS navigation computer, autopilot, and flight director system, eight student pilots were then tested on their ability to complete a sim...

Billings (1996) and other researchers (e.g., Vakil, Hansman, Midkiff, & Vaneck, 1995) have concluded that pilot models of flight automation systems are incomplete and that these models cause operation and training problems (e.g., Mangold & Eldredge, 1995). Sherry and Polson (in preparation) describe a complete model of the avionics. This report summarizes that model and its application to the d...

A quasi-tailless flight investigation was launched using the X-31A enhanced fighter maneuverability airplane. In-flight simulations were used to assess the effect of partial to total vertical tail removal. The rudder control surface was used to cancel the stabilizing effects of the vertical tail, and yaw thrust vector commands were used to restabilize and control the airplane. The quasi-tailles...

• Formally defines the Multirate PALS synchronizer for distributed multirate systems. • Proves the correctness of Multirate PALS. • Uses Multirate PALS on a distributed control algorithm for turning an airplane. a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Distributed real-time systems (DRTSs), such as avionics and automotive systems, are very hard to design and verify. Besides the difficulties of asy...

In this paper, an airplane fuzzy logic control synthesis for an antilock-braking system (ABS) is proposed. The slip ratios of rear wheels are inferred, having from measurements (or from integration, in the case of model simulation) angular velocities of front wheels. The observing of these slip ratios, resulting from control variables applied in system, serves as basis of a phenomenological sce...

This project aimed to create a stable flight system for a model airplane using a microcontroller, an accelerometer and a gyroscope. The method of stable flight is a PID controller. The hardware was designed to be light-weight and flight ready. The sensors were tested using various validation methods. The robot was then test flown to gather data to create a classifier for the PID constants.