Assisted in-flight refuelling system

摘要

An assisted in-flight refueling system having a tanker aircraft equipped with a drogue; a fuel take-on aircraft equipped with a probe; and a drogue-probe coupling assist system designed to determine a first distance between the drogue and the take-on aircraft/probe, a second distance between the tanker aircraft and the drogue, and a third distance between the tanker aircraft and the take-on aircraft. The drogue-probe coupling assist system is also designed to determine information relative to the necessary movement of the drogue and/or the necessary movement of the take-on aircraft to couple the drogue to the probe, as a function of the first, second, and third distance.

主权项

1. An assisted in-flight refueling system for a fuel take-on aircraft comprising a rigid probe; said assisted in-flight refueling system comprising a tanker aircraft, and a drogue connected to said tanker aircraft by a flexible hose and drawn by said tanker aircraft in a predetermined travelling direction, said drogue being fitted to an end portion of said flexible hose;
said assisted in-flight refueling system comprising an electronic flight control system including: first, second, and third DGPS/RTK positioning modules installed respectively on said drogue, said take-on aircraft, and said tanker aircraft to determine a first quantity indicating a first distance between said drogue and said probe; a second quantity indicating a second distance between said tanker aircraft and said drogue; and a third quantity indicating a third distance between said tanker aircraft and said probe; said first DGPS/RTK positioning module being a master module configured to determine an absolute position, speed, and heading, and said second and third DGPS/RTK positioning modules being slave modules configured to determine relative distance to the master module, said second and third DGPS/RTK positioning modules transmitting relative position, distance, speed, and heading angle to said first DGPS/RTK positioning module; and an electronic control means designed to cooperate with said three positioning modules to determine, as a function of said first distance, the necessary movement of said drogue to couple said drogue to said probe, said electronic control means being continuously supplied with information from said first, second, and third DGPS/RTK positioning modules, wherein said electronic flight control system comprises a control means mounted on said drogue to move said drogue in one or more transverse directions crosswise to said travelling direction, said electronic control means being designed to control said control means as a function of said first distance, so as to move said drogue in one or more transverse directions crosswise to said travelling direction, and to align the longitudinal axis of said drogue with the longitudinal axis of said probe based on said first distance between said drogue and said probe, said electronic control means continuously processing said first distance between said drogue and said probe and continuously determining control means movements necessary to align the longitudinal axis of said drogue with the longitudinal axis of said probe, and wherein the control means includes a casing attached to said drogue at the end portion of said flexible hose, a plurality of deflecting fins extending radially from said casing, and a plurality of actuators, which move said deflecting fins.