A LUMPED PARAMETER MODEL OF TURBOPROP AIRCRAFT OPERATING ON GRAVEL RUNWAYS

The purpose of an aircraft Takeoff Performance Monitoring System (TOPMS) is to provide to the pilot information pertaining to the level of safety with which a takeoff is proceeding. The authors have developed a theoretical dynamic model to investigate the feasibility of using an observer system during the roll and takeoff phases of aircraft operation to provide to the pilot the information that is needed to manoeuver safely. This model was validated using a prototype device installed in a 19-passenger commercial turboprop aircraft. Unlike previous work in this field, this investigation focussed on various factors that are unique to the far-northern environment. Further, the Global Positioning System(GPS) was proposed as the sole source of kinematic information. This provided the possibility that a TOPMS could be devised that would require no additional ground-based installation. The results of a practical investigation 1 that was conducted to validate the theoretical model and signal processing technique appears in AIAA 2001-4170. The investigation showed that it was possible to predict the displacement of an aircraft to within 15 [m], the length of the test aircraft, in sufficient time to aid the pilot in decision-making.