Suggested closed-loop response characteristics for tanker in aerial refueling via mission-oriented evaluation

Abstract

The flight control law design for tanker should ensure that the closed-loop response can meet the aerial refueling mission requirements. In order to reveal the movement characteristics of the tanker and the handling characteristics of the pilot in aerial refueling, the flight path capture and hold under gust disturbance task is designed as the demonstration maneuver mission to evaluate the flying qualities for tanker in aerial refueling task, which is based on the design requirements of maneuvering tasks used in mission-oriented flying qualities assessment. By analyzing the flight path tracking and holding requirements of the tanker in aerial refueling mission, the relevant parameters that reflect the response characteristics of the tanker in pitch and roll axes are put forward. The ground flight simulation test based on mission-oriented flight quality assessment is conducted, and the test pilot’s assessment results based on Cooper-Harper rating and PIO scales are obtained for different flight control law configurations. The suggested requirements of the closed-loop response characteristics of the pitch and roll axes of the tanker are put forward, which can be specifications for the aerial refueling mode flight control design of tanker.