In October 1994, 22 organisations throughout Europe accepted a challenge to solve a specific robust flight control design problem. The results of that design challenge, presented at the GARTEUR Specialists' Workshop in Toulouse, France in April 1997, are reported here. Two flight control benchmarks are considered, based on the automatic landing phase of a large cargo aircraft and on the control of a military aircraft. Methods applied include: classical control; multi-objective optimisation; eigenstructure assignment; modal multi-model approach; LQ, Lyapunov and H¿-techniques; ¿-synthesis; nonlinear dynamic inversion; robust inverse dynamics estimation; model predictive control and following; and fuzzy control. Involved in the definition of the benchmarks and the evaluation process have been representatives from the European aeronautical industry, bringing a strong link with flight control law design practice.

Manual flight control system design for fighter aircraft is one of the most demanding problems in automatic control. Fighter aircraft dynamics generally have highly coupled uncertain and nonlinear dynamics. Multivariable control design techniques offer a solution to this problem. Robust Multivariable Flight Control provides the background, theory and examples for full envelope manual flight control system design. It gives a versatile framework for the application of advanced multivariable control theory to aircraft control problems. Two design case studies are presented for the manual flight control of lateral/directional axes of the VISTA-F-16 test vehicle and an F-18 trust vectoring system. They demonstrate the interplay between theory and the physical features of the systems.

This edition of this this flight stability and controls guide features an unintimidating math level, full coverage of terminology, and expanded discussions of classical to modern control theory and autopilot designs. Extensive examples, problems, and historical notes, make this concise book a vital addition to the engineer's library.

Robust and Adaptive Control (second edition) shows readers how to produce consistent and accurate controllers that operate in the presence of uncertainties and unforeseen events. Driven by aerospace applications, the focus of the book is primarily on continuous-time dynamical systems. The two-part text begins with robust and optimal linear control methods and moves on to a self-contained presentation of the design and analysis of model reference adaptive control for nonlinear uncertain dynamical systems. Features of the second edition include: sufficient conditions for closed-loop stability under output feedback observer-based loop-transfer recovery (OBLTR) with adaptive augmentation; OBLTR applications to aerospace systems; case studies that demonstrate the benefits of robust and adaptive control for piloted, autonomous and experimental aerial platforms; realistic examples and simulation data illustrating key features of the methods described; and problem solutions for instructors and MATLAB® code provided electronically. The theory and practical applications address real-life aerospace problems, being based on numerous transitions of control-theoretic results into operational systems and airborne vehicles drawn from the authors’ extensive professional experience with The Boeing Company. The systems covered are challenging—often open-loop unstable with uncertainties in their dynamics—and thus require both persistently reliable control and the ability to track commands either from a pilot or a guidance computer. Readers should have a basic understanding of root locus, Bode diagrams, and Nyquist plots, as well as linear algebra, ordinary differential equations, and the use of state-space methods in analysis and modeling of dynamical systems. The second edition contains a background summary of linear systems and control systems and an introduction to state observers and output feedback control, helping to make it self-contained. Robust and Adaptive Control teaches senior undergraduate and graduate students how to construct stable and predictable control algorithms for realistic industrial applications. Practicing engineers and academic researchers will also find the book of great instructional value.

Get a complete understanding of aircraft control and simulation Aircraft Control and Simulation: Dynamics, Controls Design, and Autonomous Systems, Third Edition is a comprehensive guide to aircraft control and simulation. This updated text covers flight control systems, flight dynamics, aircraft modeling, and flight simulation from both classical design and modern perspectives, as well as two new chapters on the modeling, simulation, and adaptive control of unmanned aerial vehicles. With detailed examples, including relevant MATLAB calculations and FORTRAN codes, this approachable yet detailed reference also provides access to supplementary materials, including chapter problems and an instructor's solution manual. Aircraft control, as a subject area, combines an understanding of aerodynamics with knowledge of the physical systems of an aircraft. The ability to analyze the performance of an aircraft both in the real world and in computer-simulated flight is essential to maintaining proper control and function of the aircraft. Keeping up with the skills necessary to perform this analysis is critical for you to thrive in the aircraft control field. Explore a steadily progressing list of topics, including equations of motion and aerodynamics, classical controls, and more advanced control methods Consider detailed control design examples using computer numerical tools and simulation examples Understand control design methods as they are applied to aircraft nonlinear math models Access updated content about unmanned aircraft (UAVs) Aircraft Control and Simulation: Dynamics, Controls Design, and Autonomous Systems, Third Edition is an essential reference for engineers and designers involved in the development of aircraft and aerospace systems and computer-based flight simulations, as well as upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying mechanical and aerospace engineering.

This book offers a complete overview of fault-tolerant flight control techniques. Discussion covers the necessary equations for the modeling of small UAVs, a complete system based on extended Kalman filters, and a nonlinear flight control and guidance system.