Flight Tests on fault-tolerant autopilot control laws in laboratory aircraft Citation II

Alexander in 't Veld, Hans Mulder, Gertjan H.N. Looye

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientific

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Abstract

The Delft University laboratory aircraft Cessna Citation II has the capability to implement and test new auto pilot control laws. The aircraft is equipped as a Fly-By-Wire testbed, that enables the user to control the aircraft through an experimental computer and directly have control over the control surfaces. An extra control stick is mounted on the righthand side in the cockpit from where the aircraft can be controlled in a closed loop. The gains can be adjusted in-flight. An experimental display in the cockpit showed the setpoints for the rate and direct control in pitch and roll.

The control laws that were tested are developed by the department of aircraft systems dynamics of the German Aerospace Center together with Delft University of Technology. The control laws are based on Incremental Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion (INDI). INDI uses synchronized measurements or estimations of (angular) accelerations and control surface deflections. This way it is not dependent on an airplane model, but it is able to automatically adapt flight control laws to changing dynamic behavior of the aircraft, even in case of major system failures or damage to the airframe. The INDI controller directly controls the current to the control surface actuators.

This paper treats the execution of the test flights.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSociety of Flight Test Engineers - European Chapter Symposium
Place of PublicationDelft, Netherlands
Number of pages10
Publication statusPublished - 30 May 2018
Event29th Society of Flight Test Engineers European Chapter symposium: The Fewer Aircraft To Flight Test, The More Reason To Share Experience - Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of the Delft University of Technology , Delft, Netherlands
Duration: 29 May 201831 May 2018
Conference number: 29
http://Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of the Delft University of Technology

Conference

Conference29th Society of Flight Test Engineers European Chapter symposium
Abbreviated titleSFTE EC Symposium 2018
Country/TerritoryNetherlands
CityDelft
Period29/05/1831/05/18
Internet address

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