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Avionics systems are at the heart of modern military and civilian aircraft. The
ability of these aircraft to operate safely and conduct their missions
effectively relies heavily on the function and performance of their avionics
systems. Functions such as automatic flight control, awareness of the aircraft
and its surrounds, the ability to communicate using voice and data, and the need
to accurately navigate across large distances, all rely on avionics systems. In
most cases these days, avionics computers running specialised software provide
avionics functionality. These computers are generally networked together to
facilitate vast amounts of information sharing around the aircraft. At the
beginning and end of the avionics chain is still the human operator called the
pilot. The human machine interface (cockpit) has come a long way since aircraft
started flying and it is still an area of huge change. Displays, tones, and
interface devices continue to improve the efficiency with which information
flows between the pilot and aircraft.
This book has been written to be help engineers, technicians, and aircrew
understand how major avionics systems work and interact. The book is full of
qualitative examples, case studies, and worked quantitative examples to
reinforce the theory. Additional references at the end of each chapter allow
readers to investigate individual topics in more detail. Review questions also
allow readers to confirm their understanding of the main points in each chapter.
Chapter 1 is an introduction to avionics, Chapter 2 outlines aircraft electrical
systems and Chapter 3 investigates flight control systems. Chapter 4 introduces
air data, air-data sensors, and the air-data system, which is able to calculate
a range of critical airspeeds, temperature and altitude. Continuing the theme of
aircraft sensors, Chapter 5 discusses inertial sensors such as accelerometers
and gyroscopes. Chapter 6 covers airborne radar systems. Chapter 7 is the final
chapter on aircraft sensors and covers electro-optic sensors.
Chapter 8 deals with airborne communication systems. Chapter 9 is dedicated to
airborne navigation, and is divided into two main sections; dead reckoning
navigation and navigation by reference external navigation aids. Chapter 10
describes modern avionics systems as being a number of individual computers
networked together. Chapter 11 explores some of the issues associated with
running a number of time-critical applications on a single (or resource-limited)
avionics computer. Chapter 12 is the final chapter of the book and covers the
critical interface between the pilot and the aircraft; the cockpit. Chapter 12
also investigates image intensification in the form of night-vision goggles that
are starting to play a major role in both military and civilian cockpits.
Ian Faulconbridge started his professional life as an electronics
engineering officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was involved with
maintenance activities and acquisition projects throughout his RAAF career.
Since leaving the RAAF, he has been engaged as a professional engineer on a
number of aviation-related consultancies. He has also taught avionics and
navigation to undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of New
South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
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