Survey of dynamic analysis methods for flight control design.

Abstract

T purpose of this Survey is to review technical fields that are of primary concern to the theoretical design of flight control systems, i.e., systems for the control of attitude of aerospace vehicles. Three major areas have been selected, description of vehicle dynamics, design criteria, and control theory. The literature in the first and last of these fields in quite extensive. However, the second field, design criteria, has received a very small amount of attention, despite its obvious importance. The available information is reviewed and several suggestions are offered as to directions of further work. Prediction of aerodynamic forces and moments is not considered. In preparing this Survey, several thousand books, reports, and journal articles were reviewed. Space does not permit mention here of more than a fraction of this work, nor would so great a volume of material serve the reader well. Accordingly, a selection has been made based on the author's prejudices, but with preference for references with one or more of the following attributes, listed in no special order: 1) clarity of presentation, 2) comprehensiveness (survey articles are favored), 3) recent date, 4) ready availability (company reports are discriminated against), 5) originality, and 6) importance of the work in development of the field. Many worthwhile papers had to be omitted. An earlier work along the same lines has a somewhat broader scope than the present survey and about twice as many references.