Aerospace Flight Control Systems

Annotation Bridging the gap between academic research and real-world applications, this reference on modern flight control methods for fixed-wing aircraft deals with fundamentals of flight control systems design, then concentrates on applications based on the modern control methods used in the latest aircraft. The book is written for practicing engineers who are new to the aviation industry, postgraduate students in strategic or applied research, and advanced undergraduates. Some knowledge of classical control is assumed. Pratt is a member of IEEE and is UK Member for AIAA's Technical Committee on Guidance, Navigation and Control. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This book covers aerospace flight control systems. Both primary and secondary flight control systems are covered in the book. The first chapters cover basic mechanism fundamentals that are relevant to flight control systems. Next is chapters on cable systems, gearing systems and power screws. Hydraulic and electromechanical actuation are also discussed. From here, the book addresses general aspects of flight control systems, including fly by wire systems. After this secondary systems (high lift, spoilers, trim) and primary flight control for each axis are discussed - each in stand-alone chapters. Reversible, irreversible and fly by wire systems are discussed for each axis. The final chapter goes into system fault detection.

This book covers aerospace flight control systems. Both primary and secondary flight control systems are covered in the book. The first chapters cover basic mechanism fundamentals that are relevant to flight control systems. Next is chapters on cable systems, gearing systems and power screws. Hydraulic and electromechanical actuation are also discussed. From here, the book addresses general aspects of flight control systems, including fly by wire systems. After this secondary systems (high lift, spoilers, trim) and primary flight control for each axis are discussed - each in stand-alone chapters. Reversible, irreversible and fly by wire systems are discussed for each axis. The final chapter goes into system fault detection. Version 2 adds some material to existing chapters, adds a design example and fixes some typos.

The #1 guide to understanding the "why and how" of fly-by-wire flight control systems. This book is an approachable and easily understandable must-read for aviation professionals! Why don't new aircraft designs allow the pilots a mechanical control connection? This book explains how fly-by-wire fixes the top 5 problems with mechanical controls for high performance aircraft. Rather than describe a particular aircraft’s design with confusing acronyms, readers will get a "behind the scenes" understanding for the critical concepts that apply to any modern aircraft. Because these design principles are easily described and understood, readers of this book will be armed with knowledge as they approach their flight manual procedures. Including: - Problems with mechanical flight controls - Advantages of fly-by-wire - How and why can fly-by-wire control systems fail? - Why are four computers better than one or two? - Explanations of the control laws used by business jets, fighters, and airliners - What sensors are needed, and how the system maintains control when sensors are lost - Design considerations for risk mitigation in case of component failures Buy this book to read on your next layover!

This book focuses on flight vehicles and their navigational systems, discussing different forms of flight structures and their control systems, from fixed wings to rotary crafts. Software simulation enables testing of the hardware without actual implementation, and the flight simulators, mechanics, glider development and navigation systems presented here are suitable for lab-based experimentation studies. It explores laboratory testing of flight navigational sensors, such as the magnetic, acceleration and Global Positioning System (GPS) units, and illustrates the six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) instrumentation as well as its data acquisition methodology. The book offers an introduction to the various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and their accessories, including the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method for controlling the rotorcraft. It also describes a Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) control algorithm that simulates and runs the lab-based 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) helicopter, as well as LabVIEW software used to validate controller design and data acquisition. Lastly, the book explores future developments in aviation techniques.

Test Techniques for Flight Control Systems of Large Transport Aircraft offers theory and practice of flight control system tests. It is a systematic and practical guide, providing insights to engineers in flight control, particularly those working on system integration and test validation. Ten chapters cover an introduction to flight control system tests, equipment tests and validation, software tests and validation, flight control law and flying qualities evaluation, tests of flight control subsystems, integration and validation based on the iron bird, ground-based test, flight-tests, airworthiness tests and validation, and finally, the current status and prospects for flight control tests and evaluation. Presents flight control system integration tests and validation for large transport aircraft Includes the most advanced methods and technologies available Details the latest research and its applications Offers theoretical and practical guidance that engineers can use Considers the state-of-the-art and looks to the future of flight control system tests

This book provides readers with a design approach to the automatic flight control systems (AFCS). The AFCS is the primary on-board tool for long flight operations, and is the foundation for the airspace modernization initiatives. In this text, AFCS and autopilot are employed interchangeably. It presents fundamentals of AFCS/autopilot, including primary subsystems, dynamic modeling, AFCS categories/functions/modes, servos/actuators, measurement devices, requirements, functional block diagrams, design techniques, and control laws. The book consists of six chapters. The first two chapters cover the fundamentals of AFCS and closed-loop control systems in manned and unmanned aircraft. The last four chapters present features of Attitude control systems (Hold functions), Flight path control systems (Navigation functions), Stability augmentation systems, and Command augmentation systems, respectively.

The history of flight control is inseparably linked to the history of aviation itself. Since the early days, the concept of automatic flight control systems has evolved from mechanical control systems to highly advanced automatic fly-by-wire flight control systems which can be found nowadays in military jets and civil airliners. Even today, many research efforts are made for the further development of these flight control systems in various aspects. Recent new developments in this field focus on a wealth of different aspects. This book focuses on a selection of key research areas, such as inertial navigation, control of unmanned aircraft and helicopters, trajectory control of an unmanned space re-entry vehicle, aeroservoelastic control, adaptive flight control, and fault tolerant flight control. This book consists of two major sections. The first section focuses on a literature review and some recent theoretical developments in flight control systems. The second section discusses some concepts of adaptive and fault-tolerant flight control systems. Each technique discussed in this book is illustrated by a relevant example.