DESIGN AND VERIFICATION OF ACTIVE CONTROL FOR FIGHTERS

Mission requirements calling for higher performance aircraft have increased the challenges faced by designers. Conventional passive approaches to improving performance as measured by one set of metrics often degrade performance as measured by other metrics. These are the fundamental performance trades that confront aircraft designers. A need exists for a rapid, efficient, and reliable methodology for multivariable FCS evaluation at an early stage in the development process in order to reduce risk during flight simulation and flight testing. During this Phase I SBIR effort Seagull Technology will (1) design a multivariable control law for the F/A-18A that improves performance during maneuvers and (2) construct a rigorous proof of concept procedure. Three objectives will be accomplished during this work: (1) problem formulation, (2) FCS control design for the F/A-18A, and (3) proof of concept test formulation. The problem formulation will include uncertainity and variation in the aircraft dynamics, and a matrix of maneuvers and agility and maneuverability metrics. The FCS design will use a vultivariable design technique. The proof of concept test formulation will provide a blueprint for rigorous and reliable evaluation of multivariable controllers.