Cybernetic Approach to Assess Aircraft Handling Qualities

Abstract

This paper presents the experimental behavior measurement method, a novel aircraft handling qualities evaluation method, that enables an objective evaluation and eliminates a number of the disadvantages of current handling qualities assessment methods. The experimental behavior measurement method tries to overcome the omissions of the handling qualities during tracking method and is complementary to the Cooper–Harper rating method. The experimental behavior measurement method determines the aircraft handling qualities based on measurement of the control behavior during target-tracking tasks with an increasing level of difficulty. The main metric of the experimental behavior measurement method is the crossover-regression frequency. This paper will provide the theoretical background of the experimental behavior measurement method and a case study that shows the application of the method. The case study evaluates the effect of the amount of aeroelasticity on the longitudinal handling qualities of three aircraft models, although the experimental behavior measurement method is not limited to aeroelastic handling qualities. The experiment was performed in amotion-based flight simulator with eight Royal NetherlandsAirForce test pilots. The results of the case study revealed significant changes in the crossover frequency matching the altered handling qualities.