Automatic control of aircraft

A method of controlling aircraft through electromagnetic radiations is described here in which the controls are preset and the aircraft is flown and landed on a predetermined course in any kind of weather conditions. The operation is entirely automatic and the presence of a control operator is not needed. The solution of this problem was made possible by the development of two novel aids for fog navigation and fog landing, namely, the aircraft radio compass and the ultrahigh-frequency marker beacon. The problem of remote control of aircraft was initiated at the end of World War I. Due to lack of stability of the airplanes and the primitive status of aircraft radio at that time, the first attempts were not very successful. In the last few years, however, the great advance in both aviation and aircraft radio made the solution of this seemingly difficult problem quite simple. Two methods have been successfully developed. In the first method the control operator sends into space a definite number of electromagnetic impulses using an ordinary telephone dial. It is obvious that if the operator is on the ground the radius of action of such a device is quite limited, because the airplane must remain in full sight of the operator all the time. In order to increase the range of this aerial torpedo, it is necessary for the control operator to follow it in another airplane. It is possible, however, to navigate a pilotless airplane over a predetermined course of considerable span, and to land it safely at the end of its journey. This operation can be rendered entirely automatic; it can be performed in any weather conditions and without the presence of a control operator.