ATPL Inst 3.3 PDF
ATPL Inst 3.3 PDF
ATPL Inst 3.3 PDF
Chapter 3.3
Artificial Horizon
Introduction
The artificial horizon (gyro horizon) comprises of a vertical spin axis earth gyro having freedom
of movement in all three planes, and indicates the aeroplane attitude relative to its pitch (lateral)
and roll (longitudinal) axes, which is essential when a natural horizon is unavailable, eg. when
flying in cloud.
The instrument is either air or electrically driven, although the principal of operation is identical.
The gyro spin axis is maintained vertical with reference to the centre of the earth, and a bar
positioned at 90 to the spin axis represents the local horizon. A symbol representing a
miniature model aeroplane is fixed to the instrument case, and represents the rear view of the
true aeroplane, which on some instruments is adjustable to suit the pilots own eye level, and the
particular aeroplane pitch trim setting. A typical artificial horizon display is shown on the next
page.
In flight, the aeroplanes movement about its pitch or roll axis is indicated instantaneously by
movement of the case relative to a horizon (natural horizon) bar, which is held in the local
horizontal by gyro rigidity. The position of the model aeroplane relative to the bar represents
the attitude of the aeroplane to the natural horizon, whilst the position of a pointer relative to a
fixed scale represents the aeroplanes angle of bank.
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Dive and climb are indicated by the model aeroplane moving up and down with respect to the
horizon bar, whilst the angle of bank is indicated by the model aeroplane appearing to bank in
relation to the horizon bar. The indications expected during various flight attitudes are shown
below.
The exact angle of bank is indicated by a pointer at the bottom of the instrument, and provides a
direct indication of any change of attitude, without any lag being involved.
Construction of an Air driven (Classic) Artificial Horizon
A schematic view of an air driven artificial horizon is shown on the next page. This type is
commonly used in light aeroplane, and as a standby instrument in commercial aeroplanes. It is
operated by a vacuum pump, which evacuates the air from the instrument case and gyro
housing (inner gimbal). This creates a depression within the instrument, and the surrounding
atmosphere enters the instrument through a filtered inlet. The air then passes through channels
to jets mounted within the inner gimbal, which direct air onto buckets cut into the periphery of
the rotor, and cause the rotor to rotate at approximately 13,000 rpm, in an anti-clockwise
direction when viewed from above. The air is then evacuated through a pendulous unit,
mounted below the rotor casing, via four ports that are controlled by two pairs of linked
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X1
The inner gimbal is mounted in bearings within a rectangular shaped outer gimbal and is free to
rotate 55 either side of its horizontal position, about the lateral axis (Y-Y1). This enables the
aeroplanes pitch attitude to be determined, and is directly indicated by movement of the horizon
bar. The horizon bar arm is actuated by a guide pin, which protrudes from the gyro stabilised
rotor housing (inner gimbal), and moves in a curved guide slot in the outer gimbal.
The outer gimbal is mounted in an air tight instrument case, with its pivots along the fore and aft
axis (X-X1), and is free to rotate through 110 either side of its central position, in order to
determine the roll attitude of the aeroplane. A background plate representing the sky is fixed to
the front end of the outer gimbal and carries a bank pointer, which registers against a bankangle scale. Movement in both cases is limited by resilient stops, which prevent any internal
damage to the instrument.
The instrument is gyro stabilised, and arranged so that when the gyro is erect, the horizon bar is
horizontal with reference to the earths surface, and the angle of bank pointer is in its centre
position, showing the gyro to be vertically erect with reference to the earths surface.
Bank indication is given by an index on the sky plate, which reads against a scale printed on the
glass face of the instrument. When the aeroplane banks, the rotor, inner gimbal and outer
gimbal remain rigid in their level position, whilst the instrument case, and hence printed scale,
moves with the aeroplane; thus the position of the sky plate index indicates the aeroplanes
bank angle against the scale.
Operation of an Air driven Artificial Horizon
During level flight the aeroplane's vertical axis is parallel to the rotor spin axis, with the guide pin
in the centre of the slot in the outer gimbal, and the horizon bar centralised. During a climb or
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VANE
The unit is fastened to the underside of the rotor housing and consists of four knife-edged,
pendulously suspended vanes, which are fixed in diametrically opposed pairs, on two shafts
supported in the unit body. One shaft is parallel to the pitch axis (Y-Y,), whilst the other is
parallel to the roll axis (X-X,) of the gyroscope. In the sides of the unit body are four small,
elongated ports, one located under each vane. Suction air, after spinning the gyro rotor, is
exhausted through the ports, and the reaction of these diametrically opposed streams of air
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The air reactions will similarly be equal, and the resultant forces about each axis will be in
balance. If the spin axis is however displaced from its vertical position, as shown below, the
pair of vanes positioned on the Y-Y, axis will remain vertical, thus fully opening one port whilst
the diametrically opposing port will be fully closed.
Y
Y1
The increased reaction force produced by the air being expelled from the fully open port will
result in a torque being applied to the gyro body in the direction of the arrow, and thus according
to the law of precession, the unit will rotate about the pitch axis (Y-Y1),. The spin axis will
therefore be returned to its local vertical or erect position, when the vanes will again equally
bisect the ports, and will result in equal reaction forces again.
Errors Associated with the Air Driven Artificial Horizon
The air driven artificial horizon suffers from both acceleration and turning errors, and for the
purpose of explanation it is assumed that the gyro rotor rotates in an anti-clockwise direction
when viewed from above.
Acceleration Error. This error is also known as the Take-off error, since is most
noticeable during the take-off phase of flight, and is caused by the pendulous unit and
its associated vanes. The pendulous unit makes the rotor housing (inner gimbal)
bottom-heavy, so that when the aeroplane accelerates, a force due to the unit's inertia,
which is effective at the bottom of the rotor system, will act in the direction of the flight
crew. The resulting force will be precessed through 90 in an anti-clockwise direction,
and will lift up the right-hand side of the outer gimbal. This will cause the sky-plate,
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When the gyro is running and in its normal operating position, the mercury in the levelling
switches will lie in the centre of the tubes, and will only be in contact with the centre electrode,
whilst the two outer electrodes, which are connected to their respective torque motors, will
remain open as shown above.
The autotransformer in the system reduces the voltage to a nominal value (20V), which is then
fed to the centre electrode of the switches, so that no current flows to the torque motors when
the system is level. If the gyro is displaced, eg. about the pitch axis (Y-Y1), the pitch-levelling
switch will be displaced, and the mercury will roll in the direction of pitch to make contact with
one of the outer electrodes. This will result in the electrical circuit being completed to the
laterally mounted pitch torque motor, thus energising the motor, and causing it to apply a torque
force. According to the law of precession, a subsequent force will act on the gyro about the
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If the gyroscope exceeds the appropriate limits of movement from its vertical position, it is
important that the gyro is brought back to normal as quickly as possible, and this is achieved by
pushing in the fast-erection switch. In this position the torque motors are supplied directly with
115volts, which increases the torque motor output and hence produces greater torque. This will
result in the erection rate increasing from the normal 5 per minute, to between l20 and 180
per minute, depending on the particular design. In order to prevent the torque motor
overheating it is important that the fast-erection switch is not be used continuously for longer
than 15 seconds, nor is it used when the gyro is in its vertical position.
Errors Associated with the Electrically Driven Artificial Horizon
The electrically driven artificial horizon like the air driven derivative similarly suffers from both
acceleration and turning errors.
Acceleration Error. In the case of the electrically driven gyro horizon, the inner gimbal
does not have a pendulous erection unit hanging below it as in the case of the air driven
or classic version, and is therefore not subject to the apparent turn component of
acceleration error. However, the mercury in the longitudinally mounted switch will hang
back and complete the circuit to the pitch torque motor, and will cause the instrument to
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An example of the face of a typical standby indicator is shown above. This instrument uses an
internal gyroscope, which is electrically operated and is powered during normal operation by the
aeroplanes II5V 3-phase supply. If the normal power supplies fail a static inverter, will provide
28V DC from the battery busbar, and will automatically supply the standby artificial horizon.
Power from this source is always available, so attitude indications are continually displayed.
In place of the conventional stabilised horizon bar method of displaying pitch and roll, a
stabilised spherical element is adopted as the reference against an aeroplane symbol. The
upper half of the element is coloured blue (sky) to display climb attitudes, while the lower half is
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