• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.95-107
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• 2001

This paper is devoted to the parameter optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle's (UAV) flight control laws. Optimization procedure is based on the ideas of mixed $H_2/H_{\infty}$ control of multi-model plants. By using this approach, some partial $H_2$-terms defining the performance of nominal and parametrically perturbed Flight Control System (FCS) responses to deterministic command signals in stochastic atmosphere as well as $H_{\infty}$-terms defining robustness of the FCS can be incorporated in the composite cost function. Special penalty function imposed on the location of closed-loop system's poles keeps the speed of response and oscillatory properties for both nominal and perturbed FCS in reasonable limits. That is the reason why this procedure may provide reasonable trade-off between the performance and robustness of FCS that are very important especially for UAV. Its practical importance is illustrated by case studies of lateral and longitudinal control of small UAV.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.130-136
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• 2002

In this paper, a flight test method is described for the system identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with an automatic flight control system. Multistep inputs are applied for both longitudinal mode and lateral/directional excitation. Optimal time step for excitation is sought to provide the broad input bandwidth. A programmed mode flight test method provides high-quality flight data for system identification using the flight control computer with the longitudinal and lateral/directional autopilot which enables the separation of each motion during the flight test. In addition, exact actuating input that is almost equivalent to the designed one guarantees the highest input frequency attainable. Several repetitive flight tests were implemented in the calm air in order to extract the consistent system model for the air vehicle. The enhanced airborne data acquisition system endowed the high-quality flight data for the system identification. The flight data were effectively used to the system identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle.