A study was performed under contract with NASA-Langley Research Center to document the state of the art of general aviation (GA) autopilots and provide information about the current status of GA autopilot technology. Results are based on findings obtained from general and product literature, as well as interviews with manufacturers, users and service centers. The autopilot systems are divided into three categories - wing leveler, automatic, and integrated flight control systems, and a listing of currently available autopilots and their available options is presented. Various autopilot components are discussed, such as the display, data entry devices, and computers; gyroscopes, altitude sensors, airspeed sensors and accelerometers are presented as the primary sensor types. Electromechanical servos, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators are compared in their ability to improve airframe response. Recommendations concerning potential areas of further research and possible areas of improvement are also presented.


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    Title :

    The state of the art of general aviation autopilots - Now and in the future


    Contributors:
    Roskam, J. (author) / See, M. J. (author)

    Conference:

    Business Aircraft Meeting and Exposition ; 1981 ; Wichita, KS


    Publication date :

    1981-04-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English