Thomas F Landers

US Patent:

20210362699, Nov 25, 2021

Filed:

May 21, 2020

Appl. No.:

15/929781

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Thomas F. Landers - Savannah GA, US

Assignee:

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Savannah GA

International Classification:

B60T 13/66
B60T 8/17
B60T 7/04
B60T 8/18
B60T 8/176
B60T 8/32
B64C 25/46

Abstract:

An aircraft includes a brake lever for receiving a pilot braking input as a lever travel of the brake lever, a braking wheel operatively coupled with the brake lever to brake the aircraft based on the lever travel, a brake actuator operatively coupled with the braking wheel to apply a braking force in response to a braking pressure provided to the brake actuator, and a brake pressure circuit. The brake pressure circuit is configured for: estimating a maximum braking pressure above which the braking wheel will skid with respect to a ground surface; scaling a lever gain of the brake lever to command the maximum braking pressure at a full travel of the brake lever such that a remaining brake lever travel indicates the amount of braking capability remaining for the aircraft; and braking the braking wheel based on the lever gain and the lever travel.

US Patent:

20210206475, Jul 8, 2021

Filed:

Jan 7, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/736088

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Thomas Landers - Savannah GA, US
Alex Rummel - Savannah GA, US

Assignee:

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Savannah GA

International Classification:

B64C 13/16
B64C 25/36
B64C 9/00
B64C 25/42

Abstract:

An aircraft includes a processor, an airframe, a pitch attitude flight control surface coupled with the airframe, a nose wheel coupled with the airframe, main wheels coupled with the airframe, and a brake system coupled with the main wheels. The processor is programmed to determine that the aircraft has entered a braking segment of a landing phase of a flight of the aircraft while the aircraft is on a ground surface and to command the pitch attitude flight control surface with a nose up command during the braking segment in response to determining that the aircraft has entered the braking segment. The nose up command causes the pitch attitude flight control surface to generate a downforce that increases traction between the main wheels and the ground surface due to a weight shift from the nose wheel to the main wheels and directly due to the downforce on the main wheels.

US Patent:

20200064835, Feb 27, 2020

Filed:

Aug 27, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/552634

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Thomas Landers - Savannah GA, US
Alborz Sakhaei - Savannah GA, US
Abhishek Vaidya - Savannah GA, US
Blake Finlayson - Savannah GA, US

Assignee:

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Savannah GA

International Classification:

G05D 1/00
G05D 1/10
G08G 5/00
G06K 9/62

Abstract:

The processor supplies flight commands to the flight control system by selectively blending pilot input with control signals from the autopilot. The processor generates a projected recovery trajectory through successive iterations, each beginning at the current aircraft location and using a recovery constraint selectable by the processor to influences a degree of flight aggressiveness. A detection system that identifies and invokes a state of threat existence if a threat exists along the projected recovery trajectory. The processor during threat existence in a first iteration commands an initial soft recovery, with permitted blended pilot input. If the threat exists on subsequent iteration, the processor commands a more aggressive recovery while attenuating blended pilot input.

US Patent:

20200066166, Feb 27, 2020

Filed:

Aug 27, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/552620

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Thomas Landers - Savannah GA, US
Abhishek Vaidya - Savannah GA, US
Blake Finlayson - Savannah GA, US
Alborz Sakhaei - Savannah GA, US

Assignee:

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Savannah GA

International Classification:

G08G 5/00
B64D 45/00
G05D 1/00

Abstract:

A projected recovery trajectory for an aircraft autopilot system is precomputed by providing a stored set of predefined recovery mode segments, including: a mode 1 segment that models the aircraft coasting; a mode 2 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose high recovery; a mode 3 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose low recovery; a mode 4 segment that models the aircraft executing a throttle only recovery; and a mode 5 segment that models the aircraft executing a terrain avoidance recovery. A processor generates at least one projected recovery trajectory based on a current state of the aircraft, where the processor selectively concatenates selected ones of the predefined recovery mode segments into a sequence and uses that sequence to generate the projected trajectory.

US Patent:

20200066171, Feb 27, 2020

Filed:

Aug 27, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/552629

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Thomas Landers - Savannah GA, US
Abhishek Vaidya - Savannah GA, US
Alborz Sakhaei - Savannah GA, US
Blake Finlayson - Savannah GA, US

Assignee:

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Savannah GA

International Classification:

G08G 5/04
G08G 5/00
G05D 1/10

Abstract:

The aircraft threat envelope protection system employs a threat envelope data structure in a computer-readable medium that stores at least one trigger condition for each of a plurality of different types of threats associated with the aircraft, and modeled using a common schema. A processor computes plural different projected trajectories representing different possible aircraft paths through spacetime. The processor associates at least some of the plurality of the threats to specific trigger points in spacetime along each of the projected trajectories. The processor will deprecate ones of the projected trajectories when they are deemed not viable to recover from a threat. The processor initiates an aircraft protective response when all projected trajectories but one have been deprecated and the aircraft is within a predetermined proximity to the closest trigger point in spacetime along the non-deprecated trajectory.

US Patent:

20170174358, Jun 22, 2017

Filed:

Dec 22, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/979052

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Thomas Landers - Savannah GA, US

International Classification:

B64D 45/00

Abstract:

Collision warning systems, collision warning devices, and methods of operating collision warning systems are disclosed herein. A collision warning system includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of proximity sensors and a computer device. The plurality of proximity sensors are configured to mount on an aircraft and to generate a proximity signal. The computer device is communicatively coupled with the plurality of proximity sensors and is configured to determine a location in which the collision warning system is located, where the location includes at least one of a country and a region. The computer device is further configured to select an active linguistic profile based on the location, where the active linguistic profile includes at least one of a language and a dialect. The computer device is yet further configured to alert ground crew of potential collisions using the active linguistic profile and based on the proximity signal.

US Patent:

20160221663, Aug 4, 2016

Filed:

Dec 18, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/574496

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Thomas Landers - Savannah GA, US

International Classification:

B64C 13/50
B64D 43/00

Abstract:

The disclosed embodiments relate to a flight control computer for an aircraft. The flight control computer includes an inertial sensor integrated or incorporated within the flight control computer.

US Patent:

20160046364, Feb 18, 2016

Filed:

Aug 14, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/459566

Inventors:

- Savannah GA, US
Robert Hartley - Savannah GA, US
Francois Hugon - Savannah GA, US
Thomas Landers - Savannah GA, US

International Classification:

B64C 13/50
B64C 13/04

Abstract:

Aircraft, control-by-wire systems, and controllers are provided. The aircraft includes a flight control surface and a control-by-wire system. The control-by-wire system includes an input device and a controller. The input device is configured to control the flight control surface. The controller is communicatively coupled with the input device and configured to automatically offset a neutral force position of the input device based on a deviation of the aircraft from a reference condition while the aircraft is operated in a manual flight mode.