APPLICATION OF A PARTICULAR SOLUTION OF THE EULER-POISSON EQUATION TO TERRAIN-FOLLOWING AND FORMATION-FLIGHT AIRCRAFT SUBSYSTEMS.

Abstract

This report deals with the automatic control of an aircraft in a terrain-following mode of operation. The primary concern of the report is the generation of an analytical control law which takes into account the main constraints of aircraft performance, those of maximum lift acceleration and a maximum climbdive angle capability. The approach taken is to solve the Euler-Poisson equation for a particular, but realistic, definition of an 'optimum' flight trajectory. The resulting solution of the Euler-Poisson equation contains a shaping parameter which allows a good bit of freedom in shaping the basic flight path trajectory to the characteristics of a particular aircraft. The control law is such that errors in prediction of present and future aircraft dynamic performance are manifested to a minimal extent, in the accuracy of present command to the aircraft. An application of the developed control law to the analog computer simulation of an aircraft formation flight subsystem is presented as an appendix. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0632128

Entities

People

  • Norman K. Shupe

Organizations

  • United States Army Communications-Electronics Command

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Analog Computers
  • Computer Simulations
  • Computers
  • Equations
  • Flight
  • Flight Paths
  • Formation Flight
  • Poisson Equation
  • Simulations
  • Simulators
  • Terrain Following
  • Trajectories

Readers

  • Aviation Science / Aeronautics.
  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers