Parameter varying control of a high-performance aircraft

The dynamic response characteristics of modern aircraft vary substantially with flight conditions. These changes require scheduling of the flight control system with variables such as dynamic pressure and Mach number. This scheduling can be accomplished easily for simple controllers but is much more difficult for complex controllers, which result from the use of most modern control design techniques. On the other hand, these complex controllers can yield significant performance improvements when compared with simple controllers. Recently, linear parameter varying (LPV) techniques have been developed that provide a natural method for scheduling H∞ based controllers. LPV techniques are combined with μ synthesis methods to develop a self-scheduled longitudinal controller for a high-performance aircraft. The ability of this controller to achieve specified handling qualities over a wide range of flight conditions is demonstrated by nonlinear simulations.