Development and Flight Test of Adaptive Controls for the X-15
Abstract
This document is a historical document for the X-15. The Honeywell adaptive flight control system developed for the No. 3 X-15 is capable of optimum performance over a wide range of flight conditions. The adaptive control changes its own gain through an internal process of measurement, evaluation and adjustment to provide optimum system performance in a changing environment. Two hundred and thirteen flights in an F-101, amounting to 300 flight hours plus 1300 ground test hours, have gone into proving the concept. Test pilots from NASA, Air Force, McDonnell and the Navy have flown a total of 78 evaluation flights. The comments of these pilots throughout the development phase has played a major part in the final design of the adaptive system now installed in the No. 3 X-15. This advanced control technique is available today largely due to the forward thinking of the Flight Control Laboratory, ASD; NASA scientists, Honeywell research and development efforts and to the comments of Navy, Air Force, NASA and civilian engineering test pilots. This paper was presented at the Supersonic Transport Symposium by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots 29 and 30 September, 1961, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 28, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1168482
Entities
People
- A J Jr Bailey
Organizations
- Air Force Test Center