Manual terrain-following system development for a supersonic fighteraircraft.

Abstract

The requirements for a low-level, high-speed penetration to a target are briefly reviewed. The design constraints on the pitch command system are then evolved, and the effects of load factor, flight path angle, and type of command display on system design and performance are presented. During the incorporation of manual terrain-following systems into two different versions of the F-4 airplane, fixed base flight simulators were utilized to optimize system design as well as to finalize system parameters. As a result of these studies, each system was modified to provide improved performance and to obtain a command display acceptable to the pilot. A scoring technique that allows optimization of the system parameters without tailoring the system to a particular terrain type was developed. An ideal profile is generated for the terrain being used, and the actual flight path is compared to the ideal. Therefore, comparison will show how well the system allowed the pilot to follow the terrain within the design constraints and will indicate the type of system deficiency which must be removed in order to bring the flight path closer to the optimum.