MAXIMIZED GUST LOADS OF A CLOSED-LOOP, NONLINEAR AEROELASTIC SYSTEM USING NONLINEAR SYSTEMS THEORY

The problem of computing the maximized gust load for a nonlinear, closed-loop aeroelastic aircraft is discusses. The Volterra theory of nonlinear systems is applied in order to define a linearized system that provides a bounds on the response of the nonlinear system of interest. The method is applied to a simplified model of an Airbus A310.