INVESTIGATION OF FLIGHT CONTROL REQUIREMENTS FOR TERRAIN FOLLOWING (SUMMARY)

Abstract

The purpose of this work was the investigation of aircraft control requirements for high speed, low altitude penetration. The control techniques used were, in all cases, based upon optimal control theory. The principal means of investigation was real time simulation of pertinent physical dynamics and breadboard mechanization of the control computation. Investigation was conducted with two systems identified as the linear and nonlinear system. In the linear case, further details potentially detrimental to the performance of the system previously studied were scrutinized. The nonlinear system effort was concentrated upon the synthesis of a system based upon an extension of the optimization theory previously used. The results further support the feasibility of an operational 'linear' system. The results with regard to the nonlinear system are significant and also show the feasibility of synthesizing such a system. Good performance, which exhibits a substantial advance toward an ultimate ideal, was obtained over one terrain sample. More investigation of the nonlinear system is required to obtain comprehensive results.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0483557

Entities

People

  • H. H. Westerholt
  • R. P. Quinlivan

Organizations

  • General Electric

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Air Force
  • Algorithms
  • Altimeters
  • Altitude
  • Contracts
  • Control Systems
  • Control Theory
  • Flight Control Systems
  • Flight Paths
  • Line Of Sight
  • Linear Systems
  • Measurement
  • Nonlinear Systems
  • Radar Altimeters
  • Radio Altimeters
  • Simulators

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design