Integrated Flight Mechanic and Aeroelastic Modelling and Control of a Flexible Aircraft Considering Multidimensional Gust Input

Abstract : In this paper, the influence of gusts on the dynamics of a large flexible aircraft is analyzed, and an integrated flight and aeroelastic control law that reduces gust sensitivity is presented. The calculations are based on an integrated model that includes all 1st order couplings between flight mechanic and structural degrees of freedom. Uniform, 1- dimensional and multidimensional gust models are implemented and used for gust sensitivity analysis. For the example aircraft, the differences in gust sensitivity calculated with the 1-dimensional and multi-dimensional gust models are significant Integrated attitude, stability augmentation, and aeroelastic control laws for longitudinal and lateral motion are designed using synthesis. With the control laws, flight maneuvers do not excite elastic reactions, and the sensitivity to gusts is considerably reduced.