Robust Multivariable Flight Control

Designing the manual flight control system of a fighter aircraft is one of the most demanding problems in automatic control. This monograph describes the theory of full envelope manual flight control system design, and applies multivariable control theory to aircraft control problems.

---

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.