Framework for Flight Loads Analysis of Trajectory-Based Manoeuvres with Pilot Models

Abstract

A framework is presented to allow the investigation of interactions between manual control and flight control systems for large flexible aircraft. It allows the fast simulation of particular flight test manoeuvres designed to expose unwanted interactions between the pilot and aircraft flight dynamics. It combines a trajectory generation scheme and an aeroelastic aircraft model together with pilot models to conduct flight loads analysis relevant to trajectory-based flight test manoeuvres. The ability of the framework to assess the impact of variations in pilot control characteristics on flight loads is illustrated through the simulation of two manoeuvres. The first required the pilot to align the aircraft from an offset position in minimum time and the second required avoiding an obstacle by following a four-dimensional trajectory. Pilot models representative of pilot control behavior were derived by applying a parameter identification scheme to data gathered through a series of manual control experiments. The pilot models were coupled with a nonlinear flexible aircraft model to demonstrate the effects on pilot–vehicle system frequency response due to changes in task and intersubject differences. Worst case wing loads were then obtained and compared to aircraft loads envelopes.