Intelligent Flight Path Guidance

Intelligent Flight Path Guidance (IFPG) encompasses a range of technologies with the aim of enabling rotorcraft tactical, nap of the earth flight in any visual environment, in particular, in poor visibility and low light. Trajectory generation methods have been developed that allow continuous regeneration of a detailed spatial trajectory, taking account of the aircraft state and any variation in its performance limits – such as climb rate achievable within torque and rotorspeed constraints. The pilot is directed to follow the generated trajectory by means of a directed flight path marker, combined with additional supporting symbology. The symbology set is incrementally converging towards more advanced sets. Pilot workload and vehicle safety are further improved by means of Tactile Cueing functions, used to prevent and contain aircraft limit exceedances. As a result, the cues serve to prevent the possibility of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). At each stage, the development concepts have been evaluated in ground-based, piloted simulation and the results have been used to direct the next stage of system evolution. The guidance and symbology concepts are intended to progress towards flight trials in 2005.