A Low Cost Inertial Measurement Unit for Business Aircraft

Dramatic advances in the area of Low Cost Inertial (LCI) platforms have rapidly hastened inertial navigation applicability for today's commercial and business aircraft. Even in the recent past, a navigation system's Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with its extremely precise sensors, has conventionally been considered a prime source of high cost. A “reduced cost system” which would be attractive to the business and private aircraft market place, should begin, therefore, with a stable element of inherent simplicity featuring drastic new low cost designs and innovations in sensors, components, and fabrication techniques. In addition, these features must offer improved reliability, reasonable maintenance concepts, and adequate performance. Finally, in order to insure its acceptance, the design of this low cost IMU must emphasize compatibility with existing aircraft interfaces and procedures.