Advances in Thrust-Based Emergency Control of an Airplane

Engineers at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center have received a patent on an emergency flight-control method implemented by a propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA) system. Utilizing the preexisting auto-throttle and engine-pressure-ratio trim controls of the airplane, the PCA system provides pitch and roll control for landing an airplane safely without using aerodynamic control surfaces that have ceased to function because of a primary-flight-control-system failure. The installation of the PCA does not entail any changes in pre-existing engine hardware or software. [Aspects of the method and system at previous stages of development were reported in Thrust-Control System for Emergency Control of an Airplane (DRC-96-07), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 3 (March 2001), page 68 and Emergency Landing Using Thrust Control and Shift of Weight (DRC-96-55), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 26, No. 5 (May 2002), page 58.]. Aircraft flight-control systems are designed with extensive redundancy to ensure low probabilities of failure. During recent years, however, several airplanes have exhibited major flight-control-system failures, leaving engine thrust as the last mode of flight control. In some of these emergency situations, engine thrusts were successfully modulated by the pilots to maintain flight paths or pitch angles, but in other situations, lateral control was also needed. In the majority of such control-system failures, crashes resulted and over 1,200 people died. The challenge lay in creating a means of sufficient degree of thrust-modulation control to safely fly and land a stricken airplane. A thrust-modulation control system designed for this purpose was flight-tested in a PCA an MD-11 airplane. The results of the flight test showed that without any operational control surfaces, a pilot can land a crippled airplane (U.S. Patent 5,330,131). The installation of the original PCA system entailed modifications not only of the flight-control computer (FCC) of the airplane but also of each engine-control computer. Inasmuch as engine-manufacturer warranties do not apply to modified engines, the challenge became one of creating a PCA system that does not entail modifications of the engine computers

Self-Directed Support: A Review of the Barriers and Facilitators

This is a report on the published literature on the barriers and facilitators of self- directed support. It was undertaken to inform a research study funded by the Scottish Government 2009-2011 that is evaluating initiatives in three local authorities. These initiatives aim to improve take up of self-directed support for people eligible for social care and other public funds. The three test site areas are working to reduce bureaucracy; to make the processes easy and 'light touch'; and to provide training and leadership to people working on these developments. Scottish Government has provided extra money to assist these three authorities and to help people in other areas learn from their experiences

The Grizzly, February 27, 2003

An Appetite for New Ideas: Hunger Activist Visits Ursinus • Blizzard 2003 • Night on the Town Ursinus Style • Black History Month Ends • Opinion: What is the Big Deal About Turning 21? • DanceBOOM: A Unique & Unforgettable Cultural Experience • Erfle, Luciano Reach 1,000 • UC Wrestling Captures Centennial Conference Championship • Good News: Women\u27s Gymnastic Teamhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1530/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 26, 2004

The Whites-Only Scholarship Spurs Nationwide Controversy • Harvard Strips Down and Bares all • UC Presents Vagina Monologues Next Week • Spotlight on Kerry and Edwards • In Memory of James C. Wilkes, Jr. • Opinions: Bush\u27s Big Bungle; Do Students Work?; Mel Gibson\u27s The Passion of the Christ: Worth the Controversy?; A Bearable V-Day at Fox and Hound • Men\u27s Basketball Fighting Their Way to the Playoffs • Wrestling Team Dominates the Conference • Grimmel Named ECAC Division III Gymnast of the Year • Letter to the Editors: Sports Coverage Concernshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1555/thumbnail.jp