Piloted, high-fidelity simulations and flight experiments of an adaptive controller
for the Generic Transport Model (GTM)
The GTM is a model of a transport aircraft for which NASA Langley Research Center has developed both a dynamically scaled flight-test article and a high-fidelity simulation. The aircraft is piloted from a ground station thanks to onboard cameras and synthetic vision technology. The high-fidelity simulation uses non-linear aerodynamic models based on wind tunnel and system identification data, and considers avionics, sensor dynamics, engine dynamics, atmospheric conditions, sensor noise and biases, telemetry effects, etc. The open-loop system has 278 states.
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Closed-loop response (high-fidelity simulation) corresponding to a multivariable linear, non-adaptive controller when the aicraft is subjected to a severe aerodynamic degradation and multiple actuator failures.
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Closed-loop response (high-fidelity simulation) corresponding to a multivariable, nonlinear adaptive controller when the aicraft is subjected to the same adverse flying conditions above. Note that the controller not only stabilizes the plant but also enables good comand tracking in pitch, roll and yaw after failure.
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Closed-loop response (flight experiment) corresponding to a multivariable controller under various flying conditions (e.g., comunications delay, pitch stifness uncertainty, roll damping uncertainty, loss of control effectiveness).
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Closed-loop response (flight experiment) corresponding to a multivariable controller for offset landing with severely degraded aerodynamics (open-loop is neutrally stable in pitch anr roll).
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Closed-loop response (flight experiment) corresponding to a multivariable controller for offset landing with severely degraded aerodynamics (open-loop is unstable in pitch and roll).