Airplane Optimal Periodic Flight Control

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has matured to the point that it isexpected that UAVs will perform many military tasks in the near future, withcivilian implementation likely shortly thereafter. An important issueassociated with UAV implementation is long-range endurance. It is known thatproperly constructed periodic flight paths can increase both range and loitertime. This proposal describes a research effort that will characterize thisincrease for a particular aircraft, the F-18, which is sufficiently similar toexpected near-term unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) that a successfulexperiment will be meaningful in the context of UCAVs. In consultation withengineers at Boeing North American, who have access to highly detailed modelsof the F-18 and extensive experience with the aircraft, the researcherswill develop flight paths that will optimize the fuel-efficiency of the F-18at a chosen subsonic flight point. Interest in this work has been expressedby NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, and it is anticipated that theseresults will be demonstrated in piloted flight tests at Dryden using F-18aircraft that have been extensively instrumented for flight research. The proposed research will greatly extend the mission capability ofunmanned aireal vehicles in both military and civilian applications through theextension of range and loiter.