Automatic Control for Aircraft

Abstract

ANOTHER step towards the elimination of the physical and nervous strain upon the pilot in a long flight, caused by his having to maintain continuous manual control over the machine, has just been accomplished by the linking up of several separate devices into one synchronized piece of apparatus for use in such cases. A De Havilland “Dragon” passenger aircraft has been acquired by Messrs. Air Travel and Survey, of Sydney, for photographic survey work. The technique of this demands that the machine must fly on a dead straight line and a level keel for periods, and an automatic pilot that can control this while the crew attend to other photographic duties has been in existence for some time. This apparatus in its latest form, known as a ‘deviator’, keeps the machine on a given course, but the direction of this must be controlled by the pilot. The new apparatus adds to this a Marconi Wireless 'homing' device which sets the aircraft's course in the direction of the transmitting station, when tuned in to that wave-length. The station would normally be an aerodrome with a special call sign, but ordinary broadcasting stations may be used, provided that the pilot can identify them. He thus has nothing to do except to watch and adjust the wireless receiving apparatus as necessary. This machine was successfully demonstrated on February 17 at Croydon. It brings within sight the day when the pilot of a big aircraft will merely have to exercise a general watch over the instruments in his cabin, more comparable with the manner in which the captain of a ship controls his craft.