Systems and methods for air vehicles

摘要

A method for controlling in-flight refueling of a receiver aircraft having a fuel receptacle, comprising: automatically steering a refueling device to an engagement enabling position, including: repeatedly determining a spatial disposition of the refueling device with respect to the receiver aircraft, the refueling device being capable of engaging and refueling the receiver aircraft via a boom member, when the device arrives to the engagement enabling position at which the boom member is in a predetermined spaced and spatial relationship with respect to the fuel receptacle of the receiver aircraft; repeatedly calculating steering commands based at least on the repeatedly determined spatial dispositions and characteristics of a spatial control system of the refueling device; sending the steering commands to the spatial control system; whereby at the engagement enabling position, the boom member of the refueling device is capable of engaging with the fuel receptacle to enable refueling of the receiver aircraft.

主权项

1. A method for controlling in-flight refueling of a receiver aircraft having a fuel receptacle, comprising:
providing a refueling device comprising a body having a longitudinal axis and configured for being towed by a tanker aircraft via a fuel hose at least during the in-flight refueling operation, and further comprising a boom member having a boom axis, the refueling device being capable of engaging and refueling said receiver aircraft via the boom member; automatically steering the refueling device to an engagement enabling position, including:
(i) repeatedly determining a spatial disposition of said refueling device with respect to the receiver aircraft when the device arrives to said engagement enabling position at which said boom member is in a predetermined spaced and spatial relationship with respect to the fuel receptacle of said receiver aircraft;(ii) repeatedly calculating steering commands based at least on the repeatedly determined spatial dispositions and characteristics of a spatial control system of the refueling device; and(iii) sending said steering commands to said spatial control system; whereby at said engagement enabling position, the boom axis is at a non-zero angular displacement with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body, and the boom member of said refueling device is capable of engaging with said fuel receptacle to enable refueling of said receiver aircraft.