DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROL LAWS FOR A FLIGHT TEST MANEUVER AUTOPILOT

An autopilot can be used to provide precise control to meet the demanding requirements of flight research maneuvers with high-performance aircraft. This paper presents the development of control laws within the context of flight test maneuver requirements. The control laws are developed using eigensystem assignment and command-generator tracking. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors are chosen to provide the necessary handling qualities, while the command-generator tracking enables the tracking of a specified state during the maneuver. The effectiveness of the control laws is illustrated by their application to an F-15 aircraft to ensure acceptable aircraft performance during a maneuver.