Initial Flight Test of the Production Support Flight Control Computers at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

Initial Flight Test of the Production Support Flight Control Computers at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
Author: National Aeronautics and Space Adm Nasa
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2018-09-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781724026705

The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has completed the initial flight test of a modified set of F/A-18 flight control computers that gives the aircraft a research control law capability. The production support flight control computers (PSFCC) provide an increased capability for flight research in the control law, handling qualities, and flight systems areas. The PSFCC feature a research flight control processor that is "piggybacked" onto the baseline F/A-18 flight control system. This research processor allows for pilot selection of research control law operation in flight. To validate flight operation, a replication of a standard F/A-18 control law was programmed into the research processor and flight-tested over a limited envelope. This paper provides a brief description of the system, summarizes the initial flight test of the PSFCC, and describes future experiments for the PSFCC. Carter, John and Stephenson, Mark Armstrong Flight Research Center NASA/TM-1999-206581, H-2343, NAS 1.15:206581, AIAA Paper 99-4203

An Overview of Flight Test Results for a Formation Flight Autopilot

An Overview of Flight Test Results for a Formation Flight Autopilot
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 22
Release: 2002
Genre: Automatic pilot (Airplanes)
ISBN:

The first flight test phase of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Autonomous Formation Flight project has successfully demonstrated precision autonomous station-keeping of an F/A-18 research airplane with a second F/A-18 airplane. Blended inertial navigation system (INS) and global positioning system (GPS) measurements have been communicated across an air-to-air telemetry link and used to compute relative-position estimates. A precision research formation autopilot onboard the trailing airplane controls lateral and vertical spacing while the leading airplane operates under production autopilot control. Four research autopilot gain sets have been designed and flight-tested, and each exceeds the project design requirement of steady-state tracking accuracy within 1 standard deviation of 10 ft.

NASA SP-7500

NASA SP-7500
Author: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Publisher:
Total Pages: 752
Release: 1986
Genre:
ISBN: