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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0480.PDF
482 FLIGHT, 12 April 1957 The Changing Navigation Picture . . . control, computer and indicator, compass unit, variation unit andairspeed unit. Wind direction and speed and target bearing and range are manuallyset into counters in the control unit, which also has slewing controls for rapid adjustment of the settings. A selector switch is set to makethe system indicate bearing and range of either target or base. The control unit weighs 2i lb. A bearing and range computer, with nomanual controls, weighs 8J lb and is designed for remote installation. In the bearing and range indicator, which weighs 1^ lb, a rotatingcompass-card shows the ground track of the aircraft, while a needle indicates true bearing of target or base, the distance being shown in aveeder counter window. Compass and true airspeed units are required when the signal sourcesof these values are in the form of a synchro transmitter signal. The units resolve these values into component voltages proportional to theinput quantities, by means of servo follow-ups from the aircraft compass transmitter and true airspeed signal.The range of operation of this system is 1,000 miles, with true airspeeds from 100 kt to 1,200 kt. Magnetic variation can be set upto 180 deg east or west and winds of up to 200 kt from any direction. The basic system weighs 12 lb and accuracies are given as ± 1 deg oftrack angle, + 1 deg of bearing and ± 1-i per cent of range. If the pilot subtracts from the wind setting the vector and speed of a moving baseit can direct him to follow the ship or carrier on a pursuit curve. In this condition the target function is lost. He can also follow a movingtarget, but then the homing function is lost. Automatic Dead-reckoning Set Eclipse-Pioneer Division, Bendix Aviation Corp. (Address as p. 481)DESIGNED to fulfil the basic requirements for navigation, the Auto- matic Dead-reckoning Set is a latitude/longitude system computing thepresent position of the aircraft. It also shows track, Great Circle distance to a pre-set base or target and Great Circle bearing to thatbase or target. Wind direction and strength can be manually set. There are three main components, the data setting box, control amplifier andcourse-and-distance indicator. Compass course and true airspeed signals are accepted from the other aircraft systems, means being provided forcompass deviation compensation up to ±3 deg and compensation of airspeed calibration errors of up to +50 kt. Manual inputs include variation (±180 deg), wind direction andstrength (360 deg and up to 200 kt), base position and target-position in latitude and longitude. Range of operation is for all longitudes and for latitudes up to 70 degnorth and south. Beyond these latitudes the equipment will continue to function, but with a loss in accuracy increasing as the poles areapproached. Maximum usable distance to target is 999 miles and true airspeed range is between 100 kt and 800 kt. Accuracies are + 1 percent of distance travelled or two nautical miles per hour flown, which- ever is the greater; track angle to ± 1 deg; bearing to ± 1 deg; anddistance to ±1 per cent. The basic system weighs about 15 lb. AN/APN-67 Navigator Ryan Aeronautical Company, San Diego 12, California.THE U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics has specified AN/APN-67 for the Martin P6M SeaMaster. A continuous-wave Doppler radar coupledwith a computer, it uses no ground references or aerological data, but gites the pilot continuous indications of latitude and longitude position,ground speed, ground mileage flown, drift angle and ground track. As an offshoot of this equipment Ryan have also developed a heli-copter hovering aid (AN/APN-97) which presumably uses Doppler signals to tell the pilot whether or not his machine is stationary aboveground or sea. The APN-67 has been used during Operation Deep Freeze in theAntarctic and during Project Magnet, which was designed to measure the direction and intensity of the earth's magnetic field. The U.S. Navycontract for APN-67 is valued at $5m. Model 103 Electronic Automatic Navigator Ryan Aeronautical Company. (Address as above)THE U.S. Army also has a Doppler radar navigator, under the above designation, and one was installed in an L-20 Beaver last summer. Itwas first tested over sea and desert along the American West Coast and, more recently, its capabilities were demonstrated when the L-20 wasflown from Lindbergh Field, San Diego, to Fort Huachuca, passing over Yuma, Gila Bend and Tucson. Without assistance from any formof ground navigational aids, the Model 103 kept the pilot on track all the way. The navigator showed him his present position, course to flyand distance flown throughout the journey. The Model 103 is designated as experimental. AN/APA-95 General Precision Laboratory, Pleasantville, New York.DESIGNED for operation with Doppler radar, this computer gives position in latitude and longitude and much other information as well.Before take-off, latitude and longitude of the departure point are set on the present-position counters. Latitude and longitude of the destina-tion are set in the destination counters. After take-off the autopilot is coupled to the computer and the aircraft flown automatically on aGreat Circle course to the destination. Ground speed, airspeed and wind-speed are continuously indicated during this time on a speeddial, while a directional dial shows true course, drift angle, magnetic variation, true track, transverse track, course to destination, and winddirection. The present-position storage feature allows the counters to be stopped The Bendix bearing and'range indi- cator with its control panel for set- ting wind data and target bearing and range. Rapid-setting controls for target position are provided. On right, bearing and range dial. The dead-reckoning computer by the same company. It has a latitude-longitude setting scale tor both position and target, and a dial (left) for bearing and range instructions. | NORTH 3 9O5|)Q for reading or setting at any time, but during this interval aircraft travelis stored in the computer and added to the counter setting as soon as indications are restored to normal continuous working. AN/APN-105 Laboratory for Electronics, 75 Pitts St., Boston 14, Mass.NOW tested by the Weapons Guidance Laboratory of Wright Air Development Center, the AN/APN-105 is a fighter Doppler navigatorweighing 130 lb and requiring 7 cu ft of stowage space. It can use either 28 V D.C. or 115 V A.C. power supplies and consists of a receiver /trans-mitter, intermediate receiver, present-position computer, course com- puter, control box and indicator. When the latitude and longitude of thetake-off point and destination are set, APN-105 will plot a Great Circle course between two points and continuously display position and course,track made good, distance to destination and an off-course warning in the form of a malfunction flag. A civil adaptation to indicate wind conditions for jet-stream flying isplanned. Atran ...:•:. Goodyear Aircraft Corp., Akron, Ohio. •••-••.-••--• ; ATRAN is simply denned as a self-contained navigation aid and prob- ably consists of a computer coupled with Doppler or radio aid inputs.
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