An autopilot is a system that holds an aircraft on a desired flight path with reduced need for constant manual control, assisting rather than replacing the pilot so that attention can shift to monitoring the aircraft's trajectory, weather and onboard systems. Lawrence Sperry of the Sperry Corporation developed the first practical aircraft autopilot, a gyroscopic system linking heading and attitude indicators to hydraulically actuated elevators and rudder so the aircraft could hold a compass heading and level flight unattended; he demonstrated the device publicly in 1914. Autopilot technology matured over subsequent decades, and in 1947 a United States Air Force C-53 completed a transatlantic crossing with takeoff and landing performed entirely under autopilot control, while Bill Lear's F-5 automatic pilot earned him the Collier Trophy in 1949 for advancing the technology.
Facts
SignificanceThe Sperry Corporation's gyroscopic autopilot permitted an aircraft to fly straight and level on a compass course without the pilot's constant attention, greatly reducing pilot workload and enabling long-distance flight; Lawrence Sperry publicly demonstrated it hands-off in 1914 in Paris. 1 FAQs
How was an early autopilot shown to work in flight?
Sperry raised his hands while a mechanic climbed out on the wing and the gyros kept the plane steady.
Lawrence Sperry's early autopilot used a quadruple gyro to operate the ailerons, elevators and tail rudder of the aircraft. To prove it, on a second pass over the judges' stand his mechanic, Cachin, left his seat and climbed onto one of the wings, a couple of meters from the fuselage, while Sperry put his hands over his head. The aircraft kept flying without incident, which showed that the gyroscopes rather than the pilot were holding it steady.
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Source Lawrence Sperry (Wikipedia)
In Field
Source Autopilot (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Sources
1. Autopilot (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationHistory section, first paragraph
The first gyroscopic autopilot for aircraft was developed by Sperry Corporation in 1912.
History section, description of function
It permitted the aircraft to fly straight and level on a compass course without a pilot's attention, greatly reducing the pilot's workload.
History
The first gyroscopic autopilot for aircraft was developed by Sperry Corporation in 1912.
- In Group: Aircraft Avionics and Automated Flight Systems, lead: system used to control the path of an aircraft without constant human intervention
In Field: Aerospace Engineering, Categories
Aircraft instruments
View the Source Lawrence Sperry (Wikipedia)
Associated With: Lawrence Sperry, Lead or Career section [associated-with]Quote, Associated With: Lawrence Sperry, Lead or Career section [associated-with]
Sperry invented the first autopilot
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