A SIMULATOR INVESTIGATION OF A SELF-ADAPTIVE PITCH DAMPER FOR A HIGH PERFORMANCE FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
Abstract
The extreme speed and altitude ranges of which modern, high performance, supersonic airplanes are capable have become manifested in wide variations in airframe transfer function parameters as flight conditions change. Airframe control systems and stability augmentation devices utilized in these aircraft require some form of gain changing to provide satisfactory stability and control characteristics over the complete flight envelope. In present day operational aircraft, system gains are scheduled as functions of airspeed and altitude, however these mechanizations have some shortcomings which are pointed out in this paper, and also, the desirability of self-adaptive aircraft control systems is discussed. A survey of adaptive techniques which have been applied to the airplane control problem is presented, and a self-adaptive pitch-stability augmentor which utilizes a digital computer in the adaptation loop is proposed. The proposed self-adaptive system is tested in conjunction with a digital three degree of freedom flight simulation of the pitch dynamics of a representative supersonic fighter-attack aircraft, and is found to be capable of performing the adaptation process in two cycles of airplane short-period oscillation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0480467
Entities
People
- David L. Boslaugh
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School