Methods and apparatus are provided for displaying terrain and attitude data symbology for an aircraft. The apparatus is a hybrid centered head-down display for an aircraft having a monitor configured to generate a display and a processor coupled to the display. The display has a centerline. The processor is configured to calculate a displayed drift angle limit, a displayed drift angle, align the centerline of the display with reference to the displayed drift angle, and generate on the display a ...

A current path display indicator for a display device of a vehicle. The current path display indicator includes a flight path indicator (FPI) and a visual cue associated with the FPI to indicate relative direction from the vehicle's current path to a desired path. The visual cue may be embodied in possibly a number of different ways. For example, it may be embodied as an arrow extending from a circular portion of the FPI; a highlighted segment superimposed on the circular portion of the FPI; a t...

A manufacturing process of a semiconductor piezoresistive accelerometer includes the steps of: providing a wafer of semiconductor material; providing a membrane in the wafer over a cavity; rigidly coupling an inertial mass to the membrane; and providing, in the wafer, piezoresistive transduction elements, that are sensitive to strains of the membrane and generate corresponding electrical signals. The step of coupling is carried out by forming the inertial mass on top of a surface of the membrane...

An auditory attitude indicator for aircraft that includes an audio source providing an audible signal, a' stereo headset with a left side and a right side, an aircraft avionics system that provides at least aircraft pitch data and roll data to an audio processor unit. The audio processor unit includes at least one lookup table of coefficients corresponding to a plurality of possible aircraft pitch and roll orientations and at least two selectable multipoint finite impulse response filters. The f...

This optical velocimeter may be installed in an aircraft to measure the true airspeed and the angles of attack and of sideslip of the aircraft. Alternatively, the velocimeter may be mounted in a wind tunnel to measure the velocity of the airstream passing through the wind tunnel. In either case, the points of reference for measurement are the large number of aerosol particles that are entrained in the air and are assumed to have the same velocity as the oxygen and nitrogen molecules of the air i...

Methods and apparatus are provided for airspace navigation. Airspace navigation information for an aircraft is displayed in a first mode, such as, in a horizontal mode. One or more navigation events may then be detected, such as, proximity to a terrain feature, weather, traffic etc. The airspace navigation information for the aircraft is then displayed using dual modes, e.g., a horizontal mode and a vertical mode. Display parameters, such as colors, resolution, distance, scale, etc. may be set a...

A process and system are disclosed for representing flight guiding information for an aircraft. A spatial representation of the air space with at least one horizon and the previously calculated flight path of the aircraft is represented by means of video equipment. The representation of the previously calculated flight path includes the previously calculated position and previously calculated attitude of the aircraft at different moments in time. The previously calculated flight path is represen...

A method is disclosed for checking model planes entering into a dive, as well as an anti-dive method and apparatus. The method of checking planes includes installation of a first optical sensor in the upper part of the plane, with installation angle upwardly intersecting with the front of the plane at .alpha. degrees, that checks light intensity and outputs a first checked optical signal; installation of a second optical sensor in the bottom part of the plane, with its installation angle downwar...

An improved system and method are disclosed for facilitating target aiming and aircraft control by flight crews using electronic displays. For example, an aircraft display system is disclosed that includes a database for storing target location and boundary data, a processing unit, a position and direction determination unit for use in determining the position of an aiming symbol on a display, a graphics display generator, and a visual display. The processing unit determines whether or not a sel...

A graphical display of a nonlinear scale emulating the view of a mechanical drum gauge. The nonlinear scale may be used for the display of aircraft flight data including airspeed, altitude, heading, and other aircraft data suitable for presentation on a nonlinear scale. The nonlinear scale may scroll to display current aircraft data.