RESEARCH ON NEW ULTRASONIC INSTRUMENTATION FOR AVIATION

WE PROPOSE RESEARCH ON NOVEL INSTRUMENTS, INVOLVING ENVIRONMENT SENSORS, TO MEASURE QUANTITIES USED FOR SAFE AIRCRAFT OPERATION. SPECIAL GOALS ARE THE QUANTITIES USED IN CONTROL, NAVIGATION AND SAFETY MONITORING PROVIDED BY MAJOR SYSTEMS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SMALL AIRCRAFT. SPECIFIC TOPICS INCLUDE RATE OF TURN MEASUREMENT, AVAILABLE FROM RATE GYROS OR STABLE PLATFORMS IN EXPENSIVE SYSTEMS AND IN ONE COMPACT SENSOR -- THE VYRO RATE SENSOR IN THE MILITARY A-10 AIRPLANE; AND A MONITOR OF SURFACE ICE, WHICH, UNDETECTED, CAUSED THE CRASH OF A JET AIRLINER ON TAKEOFF, IN DECEMBER, 1985. TWO PARTICULAR OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROGRAM ARE TO SHOW FEASIBILITY OF SOLID STATE INSTRUMENTS, MEASURING RATE OF TURN AND ICE BUILDUP, IN RELIABLE, LOW COST CONFIGURATIONS. THE UNDERLYING STUDY WILL BE A SEARCH FOR NEW TECHNIQUES THAT OFFER LOW COST, SMALL SIZE AND POWER CONSUMPTION, SELF-CHECKING RELIABILITY, AND EXPECTED MAINTENANCE-FREE LIFETIME. IDEAS APPEARING TO MEET THESE CRITERIA WILL BE PURSUED. THIS PROGRAM IS AIMED AT INCREASING AIRCRAFT SAFETY, PARTICULARLY FOR SMALL AIRCRAFT FOR WHICH MAJOR INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS ARE NOT ECONOMICALLY POSSIBLE.