An inexpensive DME-aided dead reckoning navigator

This paper evaluates the design and performance of an aided dead reckoning navigator for general aviation applications. The system evaluated fuses the navigation information derived from an inexpensive dead reckoning system with infrequent range measurements from distance measuring equipment transponders. The dead reckoning system is mechanized using sensors that are becoming part of the standard avionics suite in newer general aviation aircraft. Simulation studies and flight test results are discussed. The results show that the system can achieve a navigation accuracy of 0.25 nmi.