The inertial guidance systems do not guess at all. Even the system in the
B-58, which, incidentally was analog, used an astrotracker to determine
position on earth. I am sure that, today, they use GPS. There was also
input from a fluxgate compass so that the platform had a north reference.
The gyro-stabilized table is erected to be gravitationally level and
pointing to North. At this point there is zero static (gravitational)
acceleration. Now the gyroscopes maintain the platform at this position.
The aircraft rotates about it. Any movement of the aircraft then effects
the accelerometers. There are correction factors that are necessary such as
coriolis effect and others, which are taken into consideration, of course.
You can get aircraft pitch, roll and azimuth position by checking the
aircraft attitude in reference to that stable platform.
The B-58 system was pretty much a pioneer in Inertial Guidance for aircraft.
My primary responsibility was the in shop maintenance of the
gyro-stabilization and astrotracker systems. Troubleshooting and repair.
That was in the B-58 Test Force and later in the 43rd Bomb Wing. As a
completely useless piece of info, the B-58 was a maintenance man's
nightmare. Required something like 1000 hours of maintenance to get 1 hour
of flying time. It did set several speed records, though. Won the Bleriot
Trophy, and then while flying to the Paris Air Show to receive it, set a
speed record from New York to Paris. Still stands, as far as I know.
The Inertial Guidance systems are very much more sophisticated these days,
but the principles are pretty much the same.
Paul in Portland OR
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Barker" <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Olympus Camera Discussion" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 11:40 PM
Subject: Re: [OM] Mammoth E-30 Product Review - Zone-10 Website
> That sounds reasonable, thanks, Mark. All IN systems have to guess at
> their position on the earth before being aligned. They need this to
> know what the angular acceleration should be so as to erect the
> platform level. Presumably the local gravitational force is part of
> the erection and alighnment process.
>
--
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