What is avionics - history of creation and composition. Stages of development of on-board equipment How it can be used - examples
Modern aviation is growing and expanding at a rapid pace. Today, the liners that rise into the sky are powerful, beautiful and durable. Their management, naturally, has also undergone serious changes. Today, new terms are appearing that are not entirely clear to the average person. So, for example, everyone knows what an autopilot is, but they have no idea what avionics is.
The term “avionics,” as experts note, is borrowed from the English language. Today it is extremely popular among those involved in the aviation industry. Today, avionics refers to all the electronic systems that are on board an aircraft. Moreover, we mean both their most complex variants and the simplest ones.
The word comes from a combination of two terms - aviation and electronics. It is also sometimes called avionics, i.e. avionics. In essence, this term hides a complex of all electronic systems - these are systems of communication, navigation, display and control of various devices.
As electronics experts say, calling avionics avionics is incorrect. After all, avionics are equipment that emits radio waves, but aircraft instruments do not do this. The following division is considered correct:
- Aircraft equipment
- avionics - equipment that is responsible for receiving or emitting radio waves during operation
- Aviation equipment (AO) - equipment containing electronic components that use electric current, but do not use radio waves
The term itself appeared in the 70s of the 20th century. It was during this period that integrated technologies and compact, but high-performance computers on board aircraft appeared. In addition, fundamentally new automated control systems were developed and implemented. Navigating ships has become easier.
Avionics, like many other things, were originally developed for the military. And today it continues to be widely used there. According to some data, the share of costs for the information component of the aircraft is 20% of the cost of the aircraft. Today, avionics has moved to civil aviation. It should be understood that this term is unspoken - it cannot be found in any documents.
Avionics composition
Today, the concept of avionics on board an aircraft includes a whole complex of systems. Among them:
- Navigation options
- Indication
- Connection
- System responsible for flight
- Mid-air collision warning system
- Management
- Weather observations
- Recorders monitoring everything that happens on board and other means of control
If we highlight military aircraft separately, then the avionics in them are additionally represented by such systems as:
- Sonars
- Radars
- Fixation and search for the intended target
- Weapon Control
How it can be used - examples
How this works is not always immediately clear to many. For example, the communication system allows you to search for potentially vulnerable and unprotected places in the operation of the airliner. If any problems or malfunctions are detected, the relevant aviation industry specialists will take care of them - they will detect them and eliminate them.
A navigation system that meets all modern standards should help the pilot direct the aircraft along a given route. It also works during various maneuvers when the aircraft is landing. The accuracy of calculations allows you to make decisions that are more appropriate to the situation. In addition, this option warns if the pilot’s eyes are blurry and he is doing something wrong.
Equipment designed to record flight parameters is an extremely necessary system on board modern airliners. Recorders record everything that happens on the plane; if necessary, information can be read from them and the actions of the crew can be assessed. In addition, such options help to record conditions occurring on board so that later they can be fully assessed and understand what mistakes were made. A striking example of the activity of such systems on board an aircraft are the black boxes of the airliner.
The weather monitoring system helps you see how the weather changes outside. Indeed, due to high wind speeds and changes in landscapes in certain areas, it can change extremely quickly. And this has a direct impact on the flight. Firstly, the plane can enter a strong turbulence zone without analyzing data on the condition and movement of the air. Secondly, thunderclouds, into which a liner that has not predicted its course can get caught, can cause a disaster. Weather observation systems enable pilots to respond timely to changes in flight conditions.
New technologies in avionics
All systems and control options do not stand still. Including the development of aviation equipment. Today, engineers can work with microscopic and invisible particles, like atoms. And today molecular engineering microtechnology is coming to the fore. But for it to become a reality and start working, it is necessary to develop appropriate methods.
The development of microelectronics will lead to more complex circuits and a reduction in the size of the design. And here technologies will be required to create and process drawings with very high resolution. The pattern will appear under the influence of light, x-rays, electron beams, etc.
It is likely that in the coming years, scientists will figure out how to work with integrated circuits with the smallest dimensions of a number of parts in them. Their number in one circuit will reach several square millimeters in area, which will contain tens of millions of parts. It is planned to change the main materials - to use not only silicon, but also other options.
With such systems, aircraft will operate even more accurately and correctly. Modern airliners will have a greater number of possibilities.
The term “avionics” is borrowed from the English language and is not popular in our country even among aviation specialists. This term is usually used to designate all electronic systems, from the most complex to the simplest, installed on board an aircraft.
Modern aviation technology requires a high-quality and highly professional approach to maintenance and repair issues. After all, the comfort and safety of passengers and crew of the aircraft, as well as the correct organization of the continuity of aircraft flights, depend on the flawless operation of the equipment.
In domestic aviation, the following classification of equipment on board an aircraft is accepted:
- aircraft equipment;
- avionics - equipment that emits or receives radio waves during operation;
- aviation equipment - contains electronic components that use electric current and do not use radio waves.
A little history
In the seventies of the last century, the term “avionics” first entered the vocabulary of specialists in Western countries. The development of electronics has reached a sufficiently high level that allows its achievements to be used in the aviation industry.
The first on-board computers and electronic monitoring and control systems turned out to be indispensable assistants in organizing aircraft flights.
New technologies were introduced more actively in military aviation. And very quickly the development of this area led to the fact that combat aircraft became a kind of platform for various sensors and electronic systems.
Today, about 80 percent of the costs of producing a military aircraft are avionics costs. But even in civil aviation, the cost of electronic equipment constitutes a significant part of the cost estimate for aircraft production.
- Communication system - potentially vulnerabilities have been found in this component and aviation industry specialists are busy eliminating them.
- A state-of-the-art navigation system helps the pilot guide the aircraft along a given route and maneuver during landing.
- Equipment for recording flight parameters. Flight recorders allow you to analyze the correctness of the crew’s actions, flight conditions and the functioning of equipment on board the aircraft.
This list is far from complete, but it gives a general idea and understanding of the meaning included in the concept of “avionics”.
Combat aircraft control systems. Impact force:
F-35 fighter avionics
Major G. Antonov
In the United States, full-scale development of a promising tactical fighter is underway under the JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) program, which has received the official designation F-35. Its main goal is to create a new combat aircraft with high performance characteristics and a unified design for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. It will become the main tactical aircraft and will replace the tactical fighters (F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet) and attack aircraft (A-10 Thunderbolt and AV-8B Harrier) currently in service. 2").
When developing the aircraft's avionics, specialists used the results of advanced research in the field of optoelectronic (OE) and radar equipment, individual electronic warfare (EW) equipment, as well as computers and software. These vehicles have a high degree of sensor integration with the ability to exchange intelligence data and information about the electronic situation, which will allow each pilot to navigate the situation throughout the theater of operations. In addition, to reduce the pilot’s workload, a fundamentally new interface was installed with the ability to voice control the aircraft.
At the initial design stage, it was planned that the fighter would not have active reconnaissance assets and that the pilot would receive information from special reconnaissance aircraft, satellites and other sources. This measure would reduce the cost of its equipment, however, in connection with the development of the elemental base, it was calculated that the maintenance of individual reconnaissance aircraft would be more expensive and would be less effective than equipping fighter aircraft with reconnaissance equipment. In addition, a large number of aircraft with sensitive sensors connected by high-speed data links will provide complete information superiority over the battlefield.
The fourth generation radar station (radar) and the electronic warfare system of the F-35 aircraft (Fig. 2) are combined into a multifunctional integrated system (MIS). The station will have an active phased array antenna (AFAR), based on the station's APG-77 antenna. This will allow it to be used for radar and electronic reconnaissance, electronic warfare and communications.
AFAR consists of 1,000-1,200 transceiver modules (RTM), connected by high-speed processors. Different PPMs in the antenna aperture may be assigned different tasks. Due to the fact that the antenna diameter is limited by the dimensions of the fuselage, the total number of PPMs is reduced by a third (compared to the APG-77 AFAR), which leads to a reduction in the target detection range to 165 km. The station should operate in the frequency range 8-12.5 GHz (according to some sources, 6-18 GHz).
Such broadband will be ensured by varying the sizes and shapes of the PPM emitters and will allow the simultaneous formation of two radiation patterns (at different frequencies), ensuring the operation of the radar in the following modes:
- detection and tracking of air and ground targets;
- passive direction finding of ground-based radars;
- transmission of correction signals to air-to-air missile launchers;
- synthesizing the radar aperture;
- selection of moving ground targets (including low-speed ones);
- ultra-high resolution (up to 0.3-0.9 m);
- monopulse mapping of the area;
- data exchange with other aircraft. In addition, the fact that the radar can operate in a wide range of wavelengths with random tuning of the pulse repetition frequency in the packet increases its noise immunity. Depending on the selected operating mode, its carrier frequency will change: a lower frequency will be used in the aperture synthesis mode, and a higher frequency will be used to detect air targets at long range. The antenna radome must be radio transparent over a wide range of wavelengths.
The antenna's beam pattern is capable of scanning space, moving from one point to another at a speed of several million times per second, so each target will be illuminated up to 15 times per second. The antenna resource is about 8,000 hours.
The main jamming methods used in radars include: range and speed tracking disruption and adaptive cross-polarization jamming.
In addition to the radar, the MIS includes a complex of electronic warfare equipment, the main developer of which is the BAe Systems company. It will be designed based on the electronic warfare equipment of the F-22 tactical fighter. All equipment is planned to be placed under the skin of the aircraft. To accurately determine the direction of signal arrival and the distance to the source, the radiation warning system uses a correlation interferometer, the input of which will receive data from antennas and radar located on the wings. Additionally, electronic warfare equipment will include a device for ejecting dipole reflectors and specially designed multispectral infrared (IR) traps. The fighter pilot will be able to receive information from other aircraft through the tactical data link, allowing him to have an understanding of the situation throughout the entire theater of operations. The expected time between failures of the complex is 440 hours.
To obtain information in the visible and infrared frequency ranges, an integrated OE system will be placed on board the aircraft, which includes a distributed aperture subsystem (DAS - Distributed Aperture System) and an optoelectronic aiming subsystem (OEPS).
It is planned to install the OEPP in the nose section under the fuselage of the aircraft. It is planned to use the Sniper-XR system, developed for the F-16 aircraft, as its prototype. Placing the subsystem on a fighter will allow the crew to independently search, detect, recognize and automatically track ground tactical targets in passive mode at a range of 15-20 km at any time of the day, as well as search and track air targets. The laser will make it possible to aim guided high-precision weapons, including the latest J-series, and hit important ground and sea targets (communication centers, transport hubs, buried command posts, warehouses, surface ships, etc.) with high accuracy (Fig. 3 ).
The OEPP includes a forward-looking infrared camera operating in the wavelength range of 8-12 microns, a charge-coupled device television camera, a laser rangefinder-target designator and a laser marker. The display located in the cockpit can display information from television and infrared systems in real time.
The main features of this subsystem are the use of the latest algorithms for detecting and recognizing ground objects from the resulting two-dimensional image and stabilization of the optoelectronic unit based on advanced technologies, which made it possible to increase the accuracy of the system by more than 3 times compared to similar ones.
To prevent damage to the OEPP sensors (which are stationary and have a wide aperture), sapphire glass will be installed, which is highly durable and transparent to the visible and infrared wavelength ranges, but does not transmit radar signals. The maximum range of the laser is 40-50 km. Viewing angles: narrow 0.5 x 0.5°, medium 1 * Wide 4 ■ 4=. The planned time between failures is about 700 hours.
The DAS subsystem includes six IR sensors that provide visibility in all directions. Information from them can be projected onto a helmet-mounted sighting system, which will enable the pilot to see the situation in the infrared spectrum under the aircraft, and in addition, it will be used as a navigation aid. It is expected that installing this distributed aperture subsystem on a fighter will reduce 30 percent. cost and reduce the total weight of IR sensors by 2 times.
One of the most important places in the avionics of an F-35 aircraft is occupied by the airborne navigation system. It performs the tasks of aircraft identification, navigation, closed multi-channel multi-band voice communication, inter-aircraft exchange
data and synchronization of displays of several aircraft. The received signal is processed within the system, and high-level information is supplied to its output. It is planned that the SSNO will operate (emit and receive) more than 35 different waveforms in the frequency range 30 MHz-^0 GHz. The system includes the following main modules: a broadband module that performs analog-to-digital conversion and signal processing; a two-channel transceiver that receives and digitizes ultra-wide range signals and provides amplifier power control signals; power supply equipment; SSNO processors, which perform signal, data and classified communications processing; interface blocks.
All necessary information from the sensors, after processing in the integrated central processor (ICP), will be sent to the display in the cockpit via a fiber-optic data line (2 Gbit/s). One of the main requirements for cabin equipment is the ability to inexpensively and quickly upgrade it through the use of advanced information processing systems, graphics processors and multifunction displays. Commercially produced components should be widely used in the display system.
It is planned to use two new technologies in the information display system installed in the cockpit: “Big Picture” and “Virtual Cockpit”. Elements of these technologies were clearly demonstrated on a working F-35 cockpit mockup.
Although the F-35 currently uses two side-by-side Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays (AMLCD) with a field size of 20.3 x 25.4 cm, work is underway to replace them with one common display with field size 20.3 x 50.8 cm. This monitor will occupy the entire upper part of the dashboard and should serve as an indicator of general situational information. It will reflect the tactical situation (current coordinates of the aircraft, routes, their intermediate points, location of enemy combat assets and friendly troops). Information on the display should come from a radar or optoelectronic system, which will allow target designation in any weather conditions.
LCD monitors have more than 256 colors and have high resolution (1,280 x 1,024 pixels per inch).
Speaking about the technical capabilities of the information display system, the following features should be noted:
- abandonment of the display on the windshield and complete transfer of this function to the helmet-mounted target designation system and display of information on the protective visor of the pilot’s helmet;
- voice control of individual functions of the information display system and the aircraft’s weapons control system (with regular speech instructions, the pilot can switch operating modes of various equipment and give commands to use weapons);
- use of expert systems that provide analysis of current information and development of instructions to the pilot on appropriate actions. Thanks to the operational planning of a flight mission, the survivability of an aircraft during its combat use increases to a greater extent than through the use of special design solutions and means of increasing survivability. The situational information displayed on the wide-format display contains data on the current position of the aircraft on the route and the location of enemy combat assets (air defense systems and aircraft in the air), obtained by summarizing information from various (including external) sources of information. Computer mapping of sectors of action of enemy weapons on a moving map of the area makes it easier for the pilot to maneuver. It also displays the zones where your own weapons can be used.
In 2000, one of the newest components of the F-35 aircraft, the so-called “on-board intelligence”, implemented using special software, was demonstrated for the first time. This was done by demonstrating the information and control field of the aircraft cockpit not in a static form, but in a virtual reality mode, almost completely reproducing the control of an aircraft combat complex during its use.
The Airborne Intelligence system was created as part of a comprehensive computer and airborne systems program most recently led by the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). An important part of it was the development of the “Pilot Assistant” system.
ka". Based on a balanced combination of conventional control algorithms and artificial intelligence technology, this system should provide information support in the following situations:
- combat conditions differ significantly from those predicted;
- an unforeseen threat forces you to reconsider the original task;
- as a result of failure of onboard subsystems, deterioration of performance or damage received in battle, it is necessary to make changes to the combat mission;
- the pilot is overloaded with uncorrelated data.
The system is designed to perform the following functions: determining the state of on-board systems; assessment of the situation; planning and determining tactics for completing a combat mission; ensuring interaction between the pilot and the aviation complex.
An important element of the F-35's flight control system is the autopilot. Its capabilities are expanded by integrating it with an expert collision warning and obstacle avoidance system. Using a terrain database, the autopilot determines the minimum altitude above the surface from which a stable and clear image of the target can be obtained in synthetic aperture mode, and ensures safe flight.
During the development of the fighter, great importance was given to the on-board computer, the key element of which is the PPI. The latter will receive information from various sensors located on the aircraft, followed by processing and analysis of possible decision options. In parallel with the PPI, the data is processed in the search planning (SPP), attack and flight planning modules for unwanted collisions with the enemy.
MPP is designed for more efficient detection of ground targets based on criteria for identifying them on the terrain. For example, based on data from sensors, a column of tanks will be identified based on the terrain, road network, relative position and speed of vehicles. The system will also be able to make a request (in dialog mode on the display or using a speech synthesizer and analyzer) from the squadron commander about the number of aircraft in the group and, after receiving a response, show the optimal search location for a tank column for each aircraft, highlighting the most likely locations on the map.
After acquiring a target (or group of targets), the attack planning module will provide the pilot with information about the optimal maneuver taking into account the threats, and, if necessary, send a request to the crews of other aircraft to provide support and cover for the aircraft.
The on-board computer with the PPI of the F-35 fighter is located in two blocks with 23 and 8 slots. It allows you to integrate the control of individual tasks and weapons, as well as perform a special signal processing function. The performance of the PPI will be at the level of 40.8 billion operations/s, the signal processor - 75.6 billion floating point operations, and the processing and image processor - 225.6 billion addition/multiplication operations. The computer design includes 22 modules of seven different types:
- four universal processor modules;
- two input/output modules for a universal processor;
- two signal processing modules;
- five signal processor input/output modules;
- two image processing modules;
- two switches;
- five power supply units.
In addition, the ICP has connectors for installing removable modules and an additional power supply. It uses standard 128-bit civilian microprocessors "Motorola G4" Power PC.
All modules use a real-time operating system (OS) from Green Hills Software Integrity for data processing and a Mercury Computer Systems OS for signal processing.
The connection of the PPI modules is carried out through two switches with 32 ports each by connecting them to a high-performance serial bus of the IEEE 1394B standard with a speed of 400 Mbit/s, which ensures the connection of the PPI and SSNO with the aircraft control system (ACS), which performs the functions of control and effective use of fuel, electrical, hydraulic and other aircraft systems. The SUPA computer includes two of the same processors as the universal PPI module. Open architecture and the use of civilian components significantly reduce the cost of equipment and its subsequent modernization. In May 2003, the first SULA computer was assembled, and its final version is planned to be produced by the end of 2005.
Processing of incoming signals at the initial stage (lower level) will be carried out directly in information collection systems, and most of the high-level processes will be carried out in the PPI computer. For example, the radar will be able to generate a signal shape and convert it from analog to digital, but information about the range to the target and the results of scanning the beam will be transmitted to the computer PID, from the output of which the processed results will go to a display located in the cockpit or to a helmet-mounted system target designation.
The volume of PPI software for the F-35 fighter will be 5 million command lines, which is 2 times more than that of the F-22. This is due to the placement of more complex equipment on it, as well as the ability to work with a greater number of modes.
On the new aircraft, pilots will be able to download pre-flight missions and copy information (including recorded in video format) to a portable portable device with a capacity of several hundred gigabytes from Smith Aerospace, which will also install high-capacity memory and a file server on the aircraft.
At the end of October 2001, the US Department of Defense announced the signing of a contract worth $19 billion with Lockheed Martin, which included the development and testing of the F-35 aircraft. By the end of 2002, the stage of designing the fighter and discussing the project was completed, followed by its evaluation until mid-2003. The total number of fully equipped aircraft (in accordance with the contract) will be 14 units. Five F-35A conventional takeoff/landing (for the Air Force), five ship-based F-35C (for the Navy) and four F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (for the Marine Corps). Additionally, the DoD will receive eight non-flying aircraft for a series of static tests, one F-35C for impact testing, and one frame for assessing changes in radar returns. The first flight of the F-35A is scheduled for October 2005, the F-35B in early 2006, and the F-35C nine months later.
The flight test program for some equipment elements included two stages. The first one took place on the VAS 1-11 laboratory aircraft, on board of which an AFAR and OE sighting demonstration system were placed, as well as sensors of the distributed aperture system.
tour. The second phase involved integrating Lockheed Martin sensors with software. Based on the results of the tests, which lasted six months, a control test was carried out to escort the F/A-18 aircraft, which acted as a target.
In addition to the main contractor, the following companies are taking part in the development of avionics for the F-35 fighter: Kaiser Electronics and Elbit - helmet-mounted target designation system, Bell Aerospace - SSNO and its antennas (one frequency range 2-4 GHz, two - 0 ,3-1 GHz, 2 radio altimeter antennas and 3 frequency ranges 1-2 GHz for each aircraft), Harris - cockpit equipment, image processing software and digital map generation, fiber optic lines, high-speed communication lines and elements SSNO, "Honeywell" - radio altimeter, inertial navigation system and NAVSTAR CRNS, "Raytheon" - 24-channel interference-resistant CRNS receiver.
Full-scale development of the F-35 tactical fighter is estimated at
$23.8 billion. The first production vehicles are expected to enter service in 2010. In total, it is planned to purchase about 2,600 vehicles for the US Armed Forces. A full participant in the program, the United Kingdom, provides 10 percent funding and plans to purchase about 150 F-35 fighters. In addition, at the moment, a number of other countries have shown interest in the new aircraft (Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and Australia). The volume of export deliveries of F-35 fighters may exceed 2,000 vehicles. The cost of one aircraft will be 40-50 million dollars (depending on the option).
The promising tactical fighter F-35 was developed under the JSF program. The pilot of this aircraft will be able to effectively control and use the entire avionics complex, making decisions on the optimal trajectory to reach the target and the use of weapons, as well as control the execution of the combat mission based on information coming from on-board sensors and external sources.
The content of the article
AVIATION INSTRUMENTS, instrumentation that helps the pilot fly the aircraft. Depending on their purpose, aircraft on-board instruments are divided into flight and navigation devices, aircraft engine operation monitoring devices and signaling devices. Navigation systems and automatic machines free the pilot from the need to constantly monitor instrument readings. The group of flight and navigation instruments includes speed indicators, altimeters, variometers, attitude indicators, compasses and aircraft position indicators. Instruments that monitor the operation of aircraft engines include tachometers, pressure gauges, thermometers, fuel gauges, etc.
In modern on-board instruments, more and more information is displayed on a common indicator. A combined (multifunctional) indicator allows the pilot to cover all the indicators combined in it at a glance. Advances in electronics and computer technology have allowed for greater integration in cockpit instrument panel design and avionics. Fully integrated digital flight control systems and CRT displays give the pilot a better understanding of the aircraft's attitude and position than previously possible.
A new type of combined display - projection - gives the pilot the opportunity to project instrument readings onto the windshield of the aircraft, thereby combining them with the external panorama. This display system is used not only on military aircraft, but also on some civil aircraft.
FLIGHT AND NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS
The combination of flight and navigation instruments provides a description of the condition of the aircraft and the necessary influences on the control elements. Such instruments include altitude, horizontal position, airspeed, vertical speed and altimeter indicators. For greater ease of use, the devices are grouped in a T-shape. Below we will briefly discuss each of the main devices.
Attitude indicator.
The attitude indicator is a gyroscopic device that provides the pilot with a picture of the outside world as a reference coordinate system. The attitude indicator has an artificial horizon line. The airplane symbol changes position relative to this line depending on how the airplane itself changes position relative to the real horizon. In the command attitude indicator, a conventional attitude indicator is combined with a flight control instrument. The command attitude indicator shows the aircraft's spatial position, pitch and roll angles, ground speed, speed deviation (true from the "reference" air speed, which is set manually or calculated by the flight control computer) and provides some navigation information. In modern aircraft, the command attitude indicator is part of the flight navigation instrument system, which consists of two pairs of color cathode ray tubes - two CRTs for each pilot. One CRT is a command attitude indicator, and the other is a planning navigation device ( see below). CRT screens display information about the spatial position and position of the aircraft in all phases of flight.
Planned navigation device.
The planned navigation device (PND) shows the course, deviation from the given course, the bearing of the radio navigation station and the distance to this station. PNP is a combined indicator that combines the functions of four indicators - heading indicator, radiomagnetic indicator, bearing and range indicators. An electronic POP with a built-in map indicator provides a color map image indicating the aircraft's true position relative to airports and ground-based radio navigation aids. Flight direction displays, turn calculations and desired flight paths provide the ability to judge the relationship between the aircraft's true position and desired position. This allows the pilot to quickly and accurately adjust the flight path. The pilot can also display prevailing weather conditions on the map.
Airspeed indicator.
When an aircraft moves in the atmosphere, the oncoming air flow creates a high-speed pressure in a pitot tube mounted on the fuselage or on the wing. Airspeed is measured by comparing the velocity (dynamic) pressure with the static pressure. Under the influence of the difference between dynamic and static pressures, an elastic membrane bends, to which an arrow is connected, indicating the air speed in kilometers per hour on a scale. The airspeed indicator also shows the evolutionary speed, Mach number and maximum operational speed. A backup airspeed indicator is located on the central panel.
Variometer.
A variometer is necessary to maintain a constant rate of ascent or descent. Like an altimeter, a variometer is essentially a barometer. It indicates the rate of change in altitude by measuring static pressure. Electronic variometers are also available. Vertical speed is indicated in meters per minute.
Altimeter.
The altimeter determines the altitude above sea level based on the relationship between atmospheric pressure and altitude. This is, in essence, a barometer, calibrated not in pressure units, but in meters. Altimeter data can be represented in a variety of ways - using arrows, combinations of counters, drums and arrows, or through electronic devices that receive signals from air pressure sensors. see also BAROMETER.
NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AND AUTOMATICS
Airplanes are equipped with various navigation machines and systems that help the pilot navigate the aircraft along a given route and perform pre-landing maneuvers. Some such systems are completely autonomous; others require radio communication with ground navigation aids.
Electronic navigation systems.
There are a number of different electronic air navigation systems. Omnidirectional radio beacons are ground-based radio transmitters with a range of up to 150 km. They typically define airways, provide approach guidance, and serve as reference points for instrument approaches. The direction to the omnidirectional beacon is determined by an automatic on-board direction finder, the output of which is displayed by a bearing indicator arrow.
The main international means of radio navigation are VOR omnidirectional azimuthal radio beacons; their range reaches 250 km. Such radio beacons are used to determine the air route and for pre-landing maneuvers. VOR information is displayed on the PNP and on the rotating arrow indicators.
Rangefinding equipment (DME) determines the line-of-sight range within about 370 km from a ground-based radio beacon. Information is presented in digital form.
To work together with VOR beacons, instead of a DME transponder, ground equipment of the TACAN system is usually installed. The composite VORTAC system provides the ability to determine azimuth using the VOR omnidirectional beacon and range using the TACAN ranging channel.
An instrument landing system is a beacon system that provides precise guidance to an aircraft during final approach to the runway. Localization landing radio beacons (range of about 2 km) guide the aircraft to the center line of the landing strip; glide path beacons produce a radio beam directed at an angle of about 3° to the landing strip. The landing course and glide path angle are presented on the command attitude indicator and POP. The indices located on the side and bottom of the command attitude indicator show deviations from the glide path angle and the center line of the landing strip. The flight control system presents instrument landing system information via a crosshair on the command attitude indicator.
Omega and Laurent are radio navigation systems that, using a network of ground-based radio beacons, provide a global operating area. Both systems allow flights along any route chosen by the pilot. "Loran" is also used when landing without the use of precision approach equipment. The command attitude indicator, POP and other instruments show the aircraft's position, route and ground speed, as well as course, distance and estimated time of arrival for selected waypoints.
Inertial systems.
Flight data processing and display system (FMS).
The FMS system provides a continuous view of the flight path. It calculates airspeeds, altitudes, ascent and descent points that are most fuel efficient. In this case, the system uses flight plans stored in its memory, but also allows the pilot to change them and enter new ones through the computer display (FMC/CDU). The FMS system generates and displays flight, navigation and operational data; it also issues commands to the autopilot and flight director. In addition, it provides continuous automatic navigation from the moment of takeoff to the moment of landing. FMS data is presented on the control panel, the command attitude indicator and the FMC/CDU computer display.
AIRCRAFT ENGINE OPERATION CONTROL DEVICES
Aircraft engine performance indicators are grouped in the center of the instrument panel. With their help, the pilot controls the operation of the engines, and also (in manual flight control mode) changes their operating parameters.
Numerous indicators and controls are required to monitor and control the hydraulic, electrical, fuel and maintenance systems. Indicators and controls, located either on the flight engineer's panel or on the hinged panel, are often located on a mimic diagram corresponding to the location of the actuators. Mnemonic indicators show the position of the landing gear, flaps and slats. The position of ailerons, stabilizers and spoilers may also be indicated.
ALARM DEVICES
In the event of malfunctions in the operation of engines or systems, or incorrect configuration or operating mode of the aircraft, warning, notification or advisory messages are generated for the crew. For this purpose, visual, audible and tactile signaling means are provided. Modern on-board systems can reduce the number of annoying alarms. The priority of the latter is determined by the degree of urgency. Electronic displays display text messages in the order and emphasis appropriate to their importance. Warning messages require immediate corrective action. Notification - require only immediate familiarization, and corrective actions - subsequently. Advisory messages contain information important to the crew. Warning and notification messages are usually made in both visual and audio form.
Warning alarm systems warn the crew of violations of normal aircraft operating conditions. For example, the stall warning system alerts the crew to such a threat by vibration of both control columns. The Ground Proximity Warning System provides voice warning messages. The wind shear warning system provides a visual warning and a voice message when an aircraft's route encounters a change in wind speed or direction that could cause a sudden decrease in airspeed. In addition, a pitch scale is displayed on the command attitude indicator, which allows the pilot to quickly determine the optimal angle of climb to restore the trajectory.
KEY TRENDS
“Mode S,” the proposed data link for air traffic control, allows air traffic controllers to transmit messages to pilots displayed on the aircraft's windshield. The Traffic Collision Alert System (TCAS) is an on-board system that provides information to the crew about required maneuvers. The TCAS system informs the crew about other aircraft appearing nearby. It then issues a warning priority message indicating the maneuvers required to avoid a collision.
The Global Positioning System (GPS), a military satellite navigation system that covers the entire globe, is now available to civilian users. By the end of the millennium, the Laurent, Omega, VOR/DME and VORTAC systems were almost completely replaced by satellite systems.
The Flight Status Monitor (FSM), an advanced combination of existing notification and warning systems, assists the crew in abnormal flight situations and system failures. The FSM monitor collects data from all on-board systems and issues text instructions to the crew to follow in emergency situations. In addition, he monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of the corrective measures taken.
15:20 04.04.2016
In the modern world, the combat effectiveness of aviation is determined primarily by electronic “stuffing”. This is what is being created at the Ramenskoye Instrument-Making Design Bureau (RPKB), which is one of the leading developers of on-board radio-electronic equipment.
In the modern world, the combat effectiveness of aviation is determined primarily by electronic “stuffing”. This is what is being created at the Ramensky Instrument-Making Design Bureau (RPKB), which is one of the leading developers of avionics (avionics) for all types of military aircraft, helicopters and drones. President and General Designer of the RPKB Givi Dzhandzhgava spoke about this in an interview with the website of the Zvezda TV channel. Reference:
Givi Ivlianovich Dzhandzhgava–
President and General Designer of JSC RPKB, member of the Bureau of the Central Council of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia, member of the Bureau of the NGO Association League for Assistance to Defense Enterprises of the Russian Federation, member of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Military-Industrial Complex under the Government of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist Russian Federation, full member of the Academy of Technological Sciences of the Russian Federation, International Academy of Informatization, Academy of Engineering Sciences named after. A. M. Prokhorova, author of 450 scientific papers, monographs and more than 300 inventions. For his active participation in the creation of new types of aviation equipment, he was awarded the titles of laureate of the State Prize of the USSR, the State Prize of the Russian Federation, State Prizes of the Government of the Russian Federation and the RAS Prize named after Academician B. N. Petrov and Academician A. N. Tupolev, the National Prize named after Peter the Great, the International Prize them. Socrates. Awarded the Order of "Glory to Russia" and the title "Person of the Year"–
2012", honorary citizen of Ramensky district. Since 1992, RPKB, under your leadership, acted as a private company and was an example of corporate construction from below, uniting avionics enterprises into one structure long before the state headed for the creation of holdings and corporations. Why did you finally decide to return under the wing of the state? The structures we created on the basis of RPKB (Avionika Concern and Technocomplex Research and Production Center) allowed us to do our job during that period, to survive the difficult times of the 1990s. But now it has become clear that without the help of the state, further competitive development is simply impossible. Who will invest in projects like the PAK FA? Avionics is still not a hairdressing salon; you need to pour a lot of money into it, and the processes are very delicate and complex. This is happening all over the world: among Americans, who traditionally relied on a market economy, the state today has a leading role in the production of military aircraft.
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