Flight Mechanics and Performance of Direct Lift Control: Applying Control Allocation Methods to a Staggered Box-Wing Aircraft Configuration

The objective of the present dissertation is to show how redundant control surfaces can be exploited to shape an aircraft dynamic behavior and obtain desired flight mechanics performance. This is achieved by introducing novel approaches and methods for flight mechanics and control, mainly revolving around original implementations of traditional...

A Control Allocation approach to induce the center of pressure position and shape the aircraft transient response

This paper presents a Control Allocation formulation aimed at altering the dynamic transient response of an aircraft by exclusive means of the aerodynamic effectiveness of its control effectors. This is done, for a given Flight Control System architecture and, optionally, closed-loop performance, by exploiting the concept of Control Center of...

A generalized approach to operational, globally optimal aircraft mission performance evaluation, with application to direct lift control

A unified approach to aircraft mission performance assessment is presented in this work. It provides a detailed and flexible formulation to simulate a complete commercial aviation mission. Based on optimal control theory, with consistent injection of rules and procedures typical of aeronautical operations, it relies on generalized...

Low-speed handling qualities of advanced transport aircraft; A comparison of ground-based and in-flight simulator experiments

Determination of low-speed longitudinal manoeuvring criteria for transport aircraft with advanced flight control systems

The application of Active Control Technology concepts and in particular the Relaxed Static Stability principle in certain categories of future transport aircraft will lead to the introduction of primary flight control systems incorporating full-time stability augmentation. For this category of transport aircraft adequate handling quality...

Handling quality criteria development for transport aircraft with fly-by-wire primary flight control systems

The introduction of fly-by-wire primary flight control systems in certain categories of future transport aircraft, makes it highly desirable to initiate further studies into handling quality criteria for future guidance in system design and airworthiness certification. The handling quality criteria for such aircraft must be based on parameters...