Honeywell International Inc.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREDICTING GROUND EFFECTS ALONG A FLIGHT PLAN

Abstract:

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for predicting ground effects along a flight plan. The systems and methods provide a processor executed process including the steps: receiving a flight plan for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft; receiving terrain and obstacles geospatial data for the flight plan from the database; determining weight of the VTOL aircraft along the flight plan; determining temperature of the environment along the flight plan; determining ground effect data along the flight plan based on the temperature and the weight; based on the terrain and obstacles data, the ground effect data and the flight plan, predict where, along the flight plan, the VTOL aircraft will traverse a ground effect region, thereby providing prediction data; and generating one or more commands to control a system of the VTOL aircraft based on the prediction data.