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An approach to the determination of aircraft handling qualities by using pilot transfer functions

19710005469 · NASA · 1971

Public domain · NASATechnical Reports

Overview

Transfer functions of pilot for determining longitudinal aircraft controllability and pilot performance prediction

Publisher
NASA
Document
19710005469
Year
1971
Pages
30
Chapters
2

Key points

  • A correlation exists between longitudinal closed-loop characteristics of a pilot-aircraft system and pilot ratings obtained in flight tests.
  • Pilot ratings can be predicted based on the complexity of pilot models and the closed-loop system characteristics.
  • A satisfactory pilot rating is achieved if the system response has a pitch-angle time constant of no more than 2.6 seconds and a stable oscillatory angle-of-attack mode with a period of no more than 2.5 seconds.
  • If a second-level pilot model is required to achieve satisfactory system response characteristics, the vehicle is rated as acceptable-unsatisfactory.
  • The study emphasizes pilot ratings for aircraft longitudinal control but suggests applicability to other control situations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main focus of the document?

The document focuses on determining aircraft handling qualities using pilot transfer functions and establishing a correlation between pilot ratings and system characteristics.

How are pilot ratings predicted according to the document?

Pilot ratings are predicted based on the complexity of pilot models and the closed-loop system characteristics derived from flight tests.

What conditions lead to a satisfactory pilot rating?

A satisfactory pilot rating is achieved if the system response has a pitch-angle time constant of no more than 2.6 seconds and a stable oscillatory angle-of-attack mode with a period of no more than 2.5 seconds.

What happens if a second-level pilot model is needed?

If a second-level pilot model is required to achieve satisfactory system response characteristics, the vehicle is rated as acceptable-unsatisfactory.

Is the approach discussed applicable to other control situations?

Yes, while the emphasis is on aircraft longitudinal control, the procedure should be applicable to other control situations.

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX A SYSTEM PERFORMANCE DETERMINED WITH PILOT TRANSFER FUNCTIONS Because of the great interest in predicting system performance, an example of the response of a pilot-model-aircraft system to a glide-slope command is presented.

This computed time history is compared with a time history obtained from an actual flight test.

The flight-test data were taken from reference 10 and are shown in figure 17.

Figure 18 was computed by using the second-level multiloop pilot model, as described in this paper, and aircraft characteristics approximately the same as those in the flight- test data of figure 17. The pilot model used also included a remnant added to the pilot- model output. This remnant was obtained by taking a white-noise source, passing this white noise through a filter that was identical to the response characteristic of the pilot, and adding it to the output of the pilot model. The expression for the remnant is there-

f o r e Kn/(I + 0.2~)~. Theamplitude of theremnant Kn was adjusted so thatthemean-

square value of the remnant was approximately 0.5 of the mean-square value of the total pilot-model output. It has been shown in reference 2 that a pilot remnant defined in this manner is appropriate.

The time history in figure 18 can be seen to agree well with the time history obtained from the flight tests (fig. 17). The general amplitude and frequency of the angle- of-attack and pitch-angle time histories are in good agreement. One difference occurs in that the computed results show a large response at the discontinuous point in the com- manded flight path, which the human pilot was able to anticipate and smooth out.

I I I I L I I 0 I O 20 30 40 50 60 Time,', sec Figure 1 7 . - Records obtained f r m reference 10 for flight test of a landing approach. % = 2.30 rad/sec; = 0.20.

APPENDIX A - Concluded

APPENDIX A - Concluded

-2000 -2000 -500 -500 hC, hc.

0 hc,m ft f t 2000- -.I “I -2 b, aa, deg 0 Aqdeg rad rad

.I .E

.I

-.I .F

-“E

2 0 I I I I I I I - 1 0 I O 20 30 0 1 0 2 0 30 40 50 Time, 1, sec Time, t, sec .@re 1 8 . - Landing-approachtimehistory com- Figure 1 . 9 . - LanZiing-approachtime M s - Fi puted by using second-level multiloop pilot tory cmputed by using second-level model withremnant. % = 2.5 rad/sec; multiloop p i l o t model without remnant. % = 2.5 rad/sec; [ = 0.32.

[ = 0.32. (To f a c i l i t a t e comparison with (To f a c i l i t a t e comparison with f i g . 17, La and A9 are given in degrees f i g . 17, Lu and A9 a r e g i v e n i n a s we= as radians. ) degrees as w e l l as radians. ) To illustrate the effect of the remnant on the system response, figure 19 was com- puted without the remnant. The longer period, lightly damped altitude mode of motion is more apparent in figure 19 than it is i n figure 18.

REFERENCES 1. Adams, cTames J.; and Goode, Maxwell W.: Application of Human Transfer Functions to System Analysis. NASA TN D-5478, 1969.

2. Adams, J a m e s J.; and Bergeron, Hugh P.: A Synthesis of Human Response in Closed- Loop Tracking Tasks. NASA TN D-4842, 1968.

3. Stapleford, Robert L.; and Ashkenas, Irving L.: Effects of Manual Altitude Control and Other Factors on Short-Period Handling Quality Requirements. J. Aircraft, vol. 5,no. 1, Jan.-Feb. 1968, pp. 41-48.

4. Adams, J a m e s J.; and Bergeron, Hugh P.: Measured Variation in the Transfer Function of a Human Pilot in Single-Axis Tasks. NASA T N D-1952,1963.

5. Adams, J a m e s J.; Kincaid, Joseph K.; and Bergeron, Hugh P.: Determination of Critical Tracking Tasks for a Human Pilot. NASA TN D-3242,1966.

6. Adams, J a m e s J.; Bergeron, Hugh P.; and Hurt, George J., Jr.: Human Transfer Functions in Multi-Axis and Multi-Loop Control Systems. NASA TN D-3305, 1966.

7. Vinje, E. W.; and Miller, D. P.: Interpretation of Pilot Opinion by Application of Multiloop Models to a VTOL Flight Simulator Task. Third Annual NASA-University Conference on Manual Control, NASA SP-144, 1967, pp. 415-440.

8. Stapleford, Robert L.; Craig, Samuel J.; and Tennant, Jean A.: Measurement of Pilot Describing Functions in Single-Controller Multiloop Tasks. NASA CR-1238,1969.

9. Birmingham, H. P.; and Taylor, F. V.: A Design Philosophy for Man-Machine Control Systems. Proc. IRE, vol.42, no. 12, Dec. 1954,pp.1748-1758.

10. Chalk, Charles R.: Flight Evaluation of Various Short Period Dynamics at Four Drag Configurations for the Landing Approach Task. FDL-TDR-64-60, U.S.

Air Force, Oct. 1964. (Available from DDC as AD-608620.)

11. Hall, G. Warren: In-Flight Investigation of Longitudinal Short-Period Handling Characteristics of Wheel-Controlled Airplanes. AFFDL-TR-68-91, U.S. A i r Force, Aug. 1968.

12. Parrag, Michael L.: Pilot Evaluations in a Ground Simulator of the Effects of Elevator Control System Dynamics in Fighter Aircraft. AFFDL-TR-67-19, U.S.

Air Force, Sept.1967.

13. Harper, Robert P., Jr.: Flight Evaluation of Various Longitudinal Handling Qualities in a Variable-Stability Jet Fighter. WADC Tech. Rep. 55-299, U.S. Air Force, July 1955.

14. Montgomery, Raymond C.; and Hatch, Howard G., Jr.: Application of Differential Synthesis to Design of Multiaxis Stability Augmentation Systems. J. Aircraft, vol. 6,no. 4, July-Aug. 1969,pp.336-343.

15. Chalk, Charles R.: Fixed-Base Simulator Investigation of the Effects of L, and True Speed on Pilot Opinion of Longitudinal Flying Qualities. ASD-TDR-63-399, U.S. Air Force, Nov. 1963.

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Source: ntrs.nasa.gov. Public-domain U.S. Government work (17 USC §105) — freely reproducible.

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Document details

Doc number
19710005469
Publisher
NASA
Year
1971
Pages
30
File size
1.3 MB
Chapters
2