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Title: Development and system identification of a light unmanned aircraft for flying qualities research

Conference ·
OSTI ID:482032

This paper describes the design, construction, flight testing and system identification of a light weight remotely piloted aircraft and its use in studying flying qualities in the longitudinal axis. The short period approximation to the longitudinal dynamics of the aircraft was used. Parameters in this model were determined a priori using various empirical estimators. These parameters were then estimated from flight data using a maximum likelihood parameter identification method. A comparison of the parameter values revealed that the stability derivatives obtained from the empirical estimators were reasonably close to the flight test results. However, the control derivatives determined by the empirical estimators were too large by a factor of two. The aircraft was also flown to determine how the longitudinal flying qualities of light weight remotely piloted aircraft compared to full size manned aircraft. It was shown that light weight remotely piloted aircraft require much faster short period dynamics to achieve level I flying qualities in an up-and-away flight task.

OSTI ID:
482032
Report Number(s):
CONF-960503-; TRN: 97:002904-0064
Resource Relation:
Conference: 1. international conference on nonlinear problems in aviation and aerospace, Daytona Beach, FL (United States), 9-11 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of First international conference on nonlinear problems in aviation & aerospace; Sivasundaram, S. [ed.]; PB: 729 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English