Development of a digital integrated automatic landing system /DIALS/ for steep approach and landing

This paper describes the development of a three-dimensional digital integrated automatic landing system (DIALS) for a small commercial jet transport. The system uses the Microwave Landing System (MLS), body-mounted accelerometers, as well as on-board sensors usually available on commercial aircraft, but does not require inertial platforms. The system development uses modern digital control techniques. The phases of flight considered are the localizer and glideslope capture, which may be performed simultaneously or sequentially, localizer and glideslope track (hold), crab/decrab, and flare to touchdown. The system captures, tracks and flares from steep glideslopes (2.5 - 5.5 deg) selected prior to glideslope capture. The results of a nonlinear simulation are presented.