DRAWING BOARD: The Autopilot
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What Is Autopilot?

An autopilot or aoutohelsman is a device connected to the plane's controls which automatically keep the plane on course, without constant human intervention. Early automatic pilots were not capable of doing much. They could just barely maintain an aircraft in straight and level flight by controlling yaw, pitch and roll movements. Surprisingly they are still used most often to relieve the pilots of smaller crafts, during routine cruising.

Modern automatic pilots can, however, execute complex maneuvers or flight plans. They are competent of bringing an aircraft into range of landing paths, return control of an unstable aircraft (such as some supersonic aircraft), or execute vertical takeoff and landing.

Four Major Elements of Autopilot

Automatic pilots consist of four major elements. The first is preparing a source of steering commands (such as a computerized guidance program). Even though the pilot seems to be in control of the flight using a yoke or a stick, the commands are not directly linked to the control surfaces. This is one reason why aircraft designers try to incorporate feel into some flight controls.

The second most important part is to provide motion and position sensors such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, altimeters, and airspeed indicators. The onboard computers receive the information and display it on illuminated, easy to read displays. Each pilot has his/her own set of flight and navigation displays.

Autopilots also have a computer to compare the parameters specified in the guidance program with the aircraft's actual position and motion. This makes up the third element. This function allows the pilots to determine whether they are flying on the correct course, towards their destination.

The last element that composes the autopilot system are components that control (or actuate) engines and any control surfaces. These components are called servomotors. They change the direction of the aircraft when the pilots make any changes or corrections.

Resource Management

The cockpit in aircraft today is so automated and advanced that the pilots' training emphasis is on resource management. What this means is pilots are encouraged to use all of the resources at their hands as efficiently as possible.

[ Changing Shapes | The Autopilot | Materials and Construction ]