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At least 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Pilot's manual for automated 4D guidance system

Operational procedures and modes of an experimental 4D guidance system are described from the pilot's point of view. The system consists of the experimental avionics equipment referred to as STOLAND and a specially developed software package for the STOLAND digital computer. A capture mode of the system provides arrival time control and automatic tracking of the 4D flight path from any feasible initial aircraft state to any waypoint. Precise arrival time at a waypoint is achieved by means of speed control or, if large delays are required, by path stretching. Continuous recomputation and display of the capture flight path prior to engaging the system permits the pilot to determine the exact moment for terminating a holding or path stretching maneuver in order to achieve a specified arrival time.

Erzberger, H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Simulator evaluation of display concepts for pilot monitoring and control of space shuttle approach and landing. Phase 2: Manual flight control

A study of the display requirements for final approach management of the space shuttle orbiter vehicle is presented. An experimental display concept, providing a more direct, pictorial representation of the vehicle's movement relative to the selected approach path and aiming points, was developed and assessed as an aid to manual flight path control. Both head-up, windshield projections and head-down, panel mounted presentations of the experimental display were evaluated in a series of simulated orbiter approach sequence. Data obtained indicate that the experimental display would enable orbiter pilots to exercise greater flexibility in implementing alternative final approach control strategies. Touchdown position and airspeed dispersion criteria were satisfied on 91 percent of the approach sequences, representing various profile and wind effect conditions. Flight path control and airspeed management satisfied operationally-relevant criteria for the two-segment, power-off orbiter approach and were consistently more accurate and less variable when the full set of experimental display elements was available to the pilot. Approach control tended to be more precise when the head-up display was used; however, the data also indicate that the head-down display would provide adequate support for the manual control task.

Gartner, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A predictive pilot model for STOL aircraft landing

An optimal control approach has been used to model pilot performance during STOL flare and landing. The model is used to predict pilot landing performance for three STOL configurations, each having a different level of automatic control augmentation. Model predictions are compared with flight simulator data. It is concluded that the model can be effective design tool for studying analytically the effects of display modifications, different stability augmentation systems, and proposed changes in the landing area geometry.

Kleinman, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Oblique Wing Remotely Piloted Research Aircraft. Volume 1: Development

The NASA Ames/DSI oblique wing remotely piloted research aircraft is a highly unusual, variable remotely piloted vehicle whose configuration and capabilities are the result of certain initial design guidelines that, in terms of conventional aircraft structures and configurations, would be considered to be contradictory and unachievable. Accordingly, the novel design of the yawed wing RPV is at odds in many respects with conventional aircraft practice. Novelty, then, forms the first, unwritten, design guideline. This design is intended to move away from convention in geometry, structure, and materials. The specific guidelines followed in the design of the yawed wing RPV and a short discussion of the impact of each on the configuration of the vehicle are presented.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1974

Lithium-doped solar cell pilot line fabrication and test programs

An investigation was conducted to determine the technology readiness of lithium-doped silicon solar cells with respect to use in space programs. A pilot line fabrication program was established, in which the pilot line cells were evaluated after being exposed to environments ordinarily imposed on nonlithium-doped silicon solar cells. Results indicate that further process improvements are required, particularly with respect to the P/N junction diffusion and the electrical contacting technique (including solder coating). It is concluded that lithium-doped cells can be fabricated to exhibit (1) high efficiencies, (2) uniform cell-to-cell recovery characteristics after exposure to 1-MeV electrons; and (3) good stability in most environments investigated (the only exception being the thermal shock environment).

Berman, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A tactual pilot aid for the approach-and-landing task: Inflight studies

A pilot aid -- a kinesthetic-tactual compensatory display -- for assisting novice pilots in various inflight situations has undergone preliminary inflight testing. The efficacy of this display, as compared with two types of visual displays, was evaluated in both a highly structured approach-and-landing task and a less structured test involving tight turns about a point. In both situations, the displayed quantity was the deviation (alpha sub 0 - alpha) in angle at attack from a desired value alpha sub 0. In the former, the performance with the tactual display was comparable with that obtained using a visual display of (alpha sub 0 - alpha), while in the later, substantial improvements (reduced tracking error (55%), decreased maximum altitude variations (67%), and decreased speed variations (43%)), were obtained using the tactual display. It appears that such a display offers considerable potential for inflight use.

Gilson, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Further examination of pilot instrument scanning data and development of a new link value estimator

Pilot instrument scanning data collected during simulated transport instrument landing approaches is examined. Deterministic features of random pilot instrument scanning behavior are confirmed to be: transitions in point of eye fixation which originate and terminate on the same instrument are rare; and transitions in point of eye fixation which originate on one secondary instrument and terminate on another secondary instrument are rare. Link value estimators are developed using statistics and these experimental facts. The result has a special significance when there is but a single primary instrument, a flight director. The result is used to simplify the iterative computational procedure of STI's display theory to a non-iterative procedure for the flight director case.

Hofmann, L. G.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Development of a remote digital augmentation system and application to a remotely piloted research vehicle

A cost-effective approach to flight testing advanced control concepts with remotely piloted vehicles is described. The approach utilizes a ground based digital computer coupled to the remotely piloted vehicle's motion sensors and control surface actuators through telemetry links to provide high bandwidth feedback control. The system was applied to the control of an unmanned 3/8-scale model of the F-15 airplane. The model was remotely augmented; that is, the F-15 mechanical and control augmentation flight control systems were simulated by the ground-based computer, rather than being in the vehicle itself. The results of flight tests of the model at high angles of attack are discussed.

Edwards, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Engineering flight and guest pilot evaluation report, phase 2

Prior to the flight evaluation, the two-segment profile capabilities of the DC-8-61 were evaluated and flight procedures were developed in a flight simulator at the UA Flight Training Center in Denver, Colorado. The flight evaluation reported was conducted to determine the validity of the simulation results, further develop the procedures and use of the area navigation system in the terminal area, certify the system for line operation, and obtain evaluations of the system and procedures by a number of pilots from the industry. The full area navigation capabilities of the special equipment installed were developed to provide terminal area guidance for two-segment approaches. The objectives of this evaluation were: (1) perform an engineering flight evaluation sufficient to certify the two-segment system for the six-month in-service evaluation; (2) evaluate the suitability of a modified RNAV system for flying two-segment approaches; and (3) provide evaluation of the two-segment approach by management and line pilots.

Morrison, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Manned Systems Utilization Analysis. Study 2.1: Space Servicing Pilot Program Study

Space servicing automated payloads was studied for potential cost benefits for future payload operations. Background information is provided on space servicing in general, and on a pilot flight test program in particular. An fight test is recommended to demonstrate space servicing. An overall program plan is provided which builds upon the pilot program through an interim servicing capability. A multipayload servicing concept for the time when the full capability tug becomes operational is presented. The space test program is specifically designed to provide low-cost booster vehicles and a flight test platform for several experiments on a single flight.

Wolfe, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A pilot rating scale for vortex hazard evaluation

A pilot rating scale is developed for subjective assessment of hazard resulting from wake vortex encounter upsets. The development of the rating scale is based on a survey of 48 pilots regarding the semantic properties of various phrases and a choice of formats for the rating scale. The rating scale can be used to define a hazard/nonhazard boundary as well as to determine a measure of the hazard.

Hoh, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Discrete time modelization of human pilot behavior

This modelization starts from the following hypotheses: pilot's behavior is a time discrete process, he can perform only one task at a time and his operating mode depends on the considered flight subphase. Pilot's behavior was observed using an electro oculometer and a simulator cockpit. A FORTRAN program has been elaborated using two strategies. The first one is a Markovian process in which the successive instrument readings are governed by a matrix of conditional probabilities. In the second one, strategy is an heuristic process and the concepts of mental load and performance are described. The results of the two aspects have been compared with simulation data.

Cavalli, D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A theoretical study of the pilot as a system monitor

The ever increasing complexity of aerospace vehicles is associated with a greater emphasis on the monitor and decision making functions of the pilot. This paper deals with the perceptual load imposed on the pilot monitoring his system. A theoretical model of this load is tested against experimental data. This model is based on a system state estimation model to be associated with the internal representation of the task environment.

Wewerinke, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Secondary task for full flight simulation incorporating tasks that commonly cause pilot error: Time estimation

The task of time estimation, an activity occasionally performed by pilots during actual flight, was investigated with the objective of providing human factors investigators with an unobtrusive and minimally loading additional task that is sensitive to differences in flying conditions and flight instrumentation associated with the main task of piloting an aircraft simulator. Previous research indicated that the duration and consistency of time estimates is associated with the cognitive, perceptual, and motor loads imposed by concurrent simple tasks. The relationships between the length and variability of time estimates and concurrent task variables under a more complex situation involving simulated flight were clarified. The wrap-around effect with respect to baseline duration, a consequence of mode switching at intermediate levels of concurrent task distraction, should contribute substantially to estimate variability and have a complex effect on the shape of the resulting distribution of estimates.

Rosch, E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The effect of visual-motion time delays on pilot performance in a pursuit tracking task

A study has been made to determine the effect of visual-motion time delays on pilot performance of a simulated pursuit tracking task. Three interrelated major effects have been identified: task difficulty, motion cues, and time delays. As task difficulty, as determined by airplane handling qualities or target frequency, increases, the amount of acceptable time delay decreases. However, when relatively complete motion cues are included in the simulation, the pilot can maintain his performance for considerably longer time delays. In addition, the number of degrees of freedom of motion employed is a significant factor.

Miller, G. K., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

NASA study of an automated Pilot Advisory System

A Pilot Advisory System (PAS) concept for high-density uncontrolled airports is discussed where the general aviation pilots will be provided with automatic audio voice airport and air traffic advisories within two minute intervals and with mid-air collision warnings whenever such situations arise. Free of manual inputs, the PAS includes the options of fixed-base operator runway select, automatic restart and self-test, and remote inquiry of system status and messages.

Parker, L. C.↗