Hardware-In-the-Loop Evaluation of a Robust C⁎ Control Law on MuPAL-α Research Aircraft

Abstract This article presents the design and evaluation of a robust C⁎ control law through Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation (HILS) of JAXA’s research aircraft called Multi-Purpose Aviation Laboratory (MuPAL-α). The C⁎ control law, which is a widely used flight control architecture in aviation industries, is designed using structured H∞ synthesis. This design method provides robustness of the controller for flight condition changes and uncertainties associated with the dynamics of MuPAL-α. HILS tests allow on-ground evaluation of controllers using actual actuators. The HILS results show that the designed controller adequately tracks pilot commands in the presence of airspeed variation, uncertainties in the modeling of the onboard actuators, and wind gust.