High angle of attack velocity vector rolls

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a flight control system for performing the velocity vector roll maneuver at high angles of attack. A six-degree-of-freedom model is developed, and the multiple-input multiple-output Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) robust control design method is used to treat both the inherent system nonlinearities and the variability in the system parameters due to changes in flight condition, as structured uncertainty. The development of a weighting matrix aids in this design process, yielding a three-axis rate-commanded inner-loop control system. Nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom closed-loop simulations demonstrate the successful initiation and arrest of the maneuver.