The recently released Version 3.2 of my GCS FlightZoomer offers an automatic approach system, that is similar to the ILS for manned aviation. For plane it was working since last year but since copters can't just slip down the glideslope and then touch down with a lot of forward speed, the implemented procedure had to be changed as follows for copter:
❶ At first, Copters will stay in GUIDED mode and will descend on the glideslope towards the runway.
❷ The moment, when an altitude of 7m above ground will be reached, the descend will stop and the copter will continue in level flight until the begin of the runway is reached.
❸ At that point, forward speed will be cut to zero, and FlightZoomer will put the flight controller automatically in LAND mode.
❹ The ArduCopter LAND mode will then simply perform a straight down descend.
As you can see in the examples in the video (towards the end), the whole procedure works nicely and supports rather fast descends.
For what purpose could ILS approaches for copters be useful?
- As any number of runways and glideslopes can be defined upfront in the FlightZoomer navigation database, the airspace can be structured to support flexible flight operations in changing conditions (different for plane vs copter, have runways for different wind directions).
- The final descend can start in a controlled manner at a rather high altitude. There is no need to for a long descend in LAND mode.
- Solution picks up terms and procedures of manned aviation.
More details can be found in the FlightZoomer User documentation:
https://flightzoomer.com/manual/hfw_automatic-landings-_-ils-approaches.html
Comments
Martin,
read again:
"An Instrument Landing System (ILS) enables pilots to conduct an instrument approach to landing if they are unable to establish visual contact with the runway.
Helicopters don't approach to landing by ILS since they land vertically and can reduce their forward speed, still maintaining altitude above zero.
Non VTOL aircraft requires ILS like landing path guidance to reduce forward speed to land securely
Ideas are great but lifes is for real.
I am not sure, which part is not clear.
VTOL aircraft (helicopters) fly ILS approaches on a daily basis like any other aircraft types.
Also, the FlightZoomer solution certainly ticks off the "instrument approach" part. You can fly the approach 100% based on the instruments if you like.
RNAV (which is by far not only about approaches) works exactly like my solution: based on GPS data, the deviation from the desired position is continuously calculated, displayed and used for corrections when flying in auto flight. Of course in case of RNAV other sources are added for increased accuracy, but the principle is the same.
Martin,
read again:
"An Instrument Landing System (ILS) enables pilots to conduct an instrument approach to landing if they are unable to establish visual contact with the runway.
Either ILS or RNAV is all about aircraft's approach / navigation and instrument landing system.
Copter is excluded or not covered since copter is VTOL aircraft.
> Calling your car Ferrari doesn't turn it into genuine Ferrari car.
Martin,
read again:
"An Instrument Landing System (ILS) enables pilots to conduct an instrument approach to landing if they are unable to establish visual contact with the runway.
Either ILS or RNAV is all about aircraft's approach / navigation and instrument landing system.
Copter is excluded or not covered since copter is VTOL aircraft.
> Calling your car Ferrari doesn't turn it into genuine Ferrari car.
I know ILS and the other instrument approach systems very well. You are correct that my system avoids a permanent radio station. The correct description would be, that technically the lower layers of an ILS are emulated, but on the user layer (user input, procedures, instruments et cetera) my system behaves 100% like an ILS. When I say ILS approach for copters I simply mean from user perspective.
And - as shown in the video of the real helicopter flying an ILS approach and then hovering to the parking stand - rotorcrafts can use ILS or RNAV instrument approaches too.
Martin,
copter landing has nothing to do with ILS
Just read what ILS stays for:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_landing_system
"
An Instrument Landing System (ILS) enables pilots to conduct an instrument approach to landing if they are unable to establish visual contact with the runway. It is defined by the International Telecommunication Union as a service provided by a station as follows:
That is correct. That's the novel part of my feature: copters can shot an imaginary ILS and still the touchdown happens vertically. Very similar like helicopters do in manned aviation e.g. in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkUd9eY1qS4
The rotocraft flies the approach 100% like any fixed wing aircraft, just to stop the descend shortly before the runway. Taxiing to the final position then happens by flying along the taxiways at a very low altitude.
copters can land vertically
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