DEVELOPMENT OF ANGULAR RATE SENSOR.

The primary object of this program is the development of a solid state rate sensor of improved reliability for use with the Automatic Flight Control System of high performance Naval aircraft and helicopter. Existing rate sensors utilizing conventional gyroscopes with rotating inertia wheels are limited in their MTBF by the life of the bearings. The United States Time Corporation therefore submitted, a proposal for a unique rate sensor employing a vibratory resonant element. In this device, the continuous rotation of the conventional gyro wheel is replaced by the oscillation of two spring-supported high inertia rings moving in opposition to each other. The output signal is thus derived from the instruments response to oscillatory torques which are proportional in amplitude to the input rate of turn.