A vehicle having a first configuration for road use and a second configuration for air use, comprises road wheels; a first steering control input, such as a steering wheel, for directional control of road wheels when in contact with the ground; a traction drive propulsion unit for driving road wheels when in contact with the ground, for example an electric motor connected to each driven wheel; a traction drive power control input, such as a throttle pedal; a second steering control input, such as rudder pedals, for operation of control surfaces for the aerodynamic directional control of the vehicle; an aerodynamic thrust propulsion unit for driving the vehicle through the air, such as a motor connected to a propeller mounted on the vehicle; and a thrust power control input, such as a throttle lever; and optionally a road wheel brake control input, such as a brake pedal; wherein, when the vehicle is in the second configuration and the wheels are in contact with the ground, the thrust power control input is operable to control power to the aerodynamic thrust propulsion unit and to the traction drive propulsion unit to accelerate the vehicle; and both the first steering control input and the second steering control input are operable to control the direction of travel of the vehicle.

A device for releasably mounting an autopilot control circuit to a flight control component of an aircraft, includes a frame that holds a component of an autopilot control circuit; a first coupler releasably fastened to the frame and operable to releasably mount the frame to the airframe of an aircraft; and a second coupler releasably fastened to the frame and operable to releasably mount the frame to a flight control component of the aircraft. When the device is releasably mounted in an aircraft's cabin and the autopilot control circuit is engaged, the autopilot control circuit controls an aspect of the aircraft's flight by moving the second coupler relative to the first coupler. With the device one can releasably mount an autopilot control circuit to an aircraft that does not have one and use the autopilot control circuit and device to control one or more aspects of the aircraft's flight.

An artificial force feel generating device for generation of an artificial feeling of force on an inceptor of a vehicle control system, the inceptor being adapted for controlling a servo-assisted control unit of the vehicle control system via a mechanical linkage, wherein at least one first force generating device and at least one second force generating device are mechanically connected to the inceptor, the first force generating device being provided for generating a nominal force acting in operation on the inceptor and the second force generating device being provided for generating a tactile cue force acting in operation on the inceptor, the first and second force generating devices being arranged in parallel. The invention relates further to an aircraft comprising such an artificial force feel generating device.

An assembly for manual control of an HSTA for controlling the position of a moveable surface, the assembly comprising a user-operated manual control element (1) e.g. a trim wheel in the cockpit, a first motor and a first resolver connected to the manual control element and a second motor and a second resolver arranged to communicate with the first motor and the first resolver and to cause corresponding movement of the actuator, in use.

A linear actuator includes: a screw shaft; a nut assembly mounted to the screw shaft to move linearly along the screw shaft as the screw shaft is rotated; and a motor to rotate the screw shaft, wherein the motor is an axial flux motor.

An active trim system of a flight control system of an aircraft that transmits a tactile feel to a pilot of the aircraft in response to a manoeuvre. The active trim system includes: a manual control member (6) an elastic deformation means (1) and a reversible actuator (2), intermediate linkage member (4) and a controller. The actuator (2) includes a rod (5) and a motor (3) parallel to the elastic deformation means (1) and is movable by the motor (3) and by the motion of the manual control member (6). The intermediate linkage member (4) is linked to the manual control member (6) between the manual control member (6) and the elastic deformation means (1) and the reversible actuator (2), a controller configured to: move the reversible actuator (2) to a predetermined zero position, and to provide stiffness against a displacement of the intermediate linkage member (4).

A flexible flight control system enables conversion from one architecture using one type of inceptor to another architecture using another type of inceptor, through the usage of modular software and hardware pieces with common interfaces among the different types of inceptors. Longitudinal and lateral directional control laws are adapted to be compatible with the specific aspects of the operation of each configuration/architecture, giving the option to the aircraft operator to choose any one of a number of inceptor architectures at time of manufacture.

Provided are airplane trim systems and methods of controlling such systems. These systems utilize smaller portions of the stabilizer total travel range for takeoff trims, in comparison to other trim systems. A trim system described includes stabilizer and elevator, and these components are used together to achieved a takeoff total tail pitching moment. The elevator or, at least a portion of the elevator operating range, is available for flight control. As such, takeoff trim settings include stabilizer and elevator orientation settings. Addition of the elevator to control the takeoff tail pitching moment allows reducing the stabilizer total travel. The elevator orientation can be changed much faster than that of the stabilizer providing pilot more control.

This aircraft flight trim system comprises a friction module that has variable friction and is coupled on one side to a drive shaft and on the other side to an output shaft via a kinematic chain.

It has a control circuit which controls the friction module on the basis of an angular displacement value of the output shaft provided by a position sensor and on the basis of a force feedback control signal provided by a flight control computer.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a motion control apparatus that includes a brushless DC motor to actuate a mechanical output based on a collection of phase power signals, a collection of first Hall effect sensors configured to provide a collection of first feedback signals in response to a sensed motor position and a sensed motor speed, a controller configured to determine a speed and position of the motor based on the feedback signals, and determine an electrical current level based on a collection of operational parameters and feedback signals including a position of the mechanical output, the motor speed, and the motor position, a current controller configured to provide electrical phase sequence output signals based on the electrical current level, and a motor driver configured to provide the collection of phase power signals based on the electrical phase sequence output signals.