Glideslope Descent-Rate Cuing to Aid Carrier Landings

Abstract

Landing performance of experienced naval aviators was tested in a simulator with a conventional Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (FLOLS) and also with a modified FLOLS that provided descent-rate error information. The FLOLS, used for guidance during carrier approaches, normally provides only glides lope displacement information. Aircraft dynamics can create substantial lags between an incorrect control input and the resulting FLOLS error indication. Addition of descent-rate error to the FLOLS was intended to compensate for that lag. Two algorithms were tested with the rate displays, and both improved glides lope tracking throughout the approach. Lineup was not adversely affected. Differences between the two experimental displays favored one driven by an algorithm based on the weighted sum of glideslope displacement and descent-rate error versus one driven by an algorithm based on descent-rate error only.

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