Flight Dynamics, Simulation, and Control

Explore Key Concepts and Techniques Associated with Control Configured Elastic AircraftA rapid rise in air travel in the past decade is driving the development of newer, more energy-efficient, and malleable aircraft. Typically lighter and more flexible than the traditional rigid body, this new ideal calls for adaptations to some conventional concepts. Flight Dynamics, Simulation, and Control: For Rigid and Flexible Aircraft addresses the intricacies involved in the dynamic modelling, simulation, and control of a selection of aircraft. This book covers the conventional dynamics of rigid aircraft, explores key concepts associated with control configured elastic aircraft, and examines the use of linear and non-linear model-based techniques and their applications to flight control. In addition, it reveals how the principles of modeling and control can be applied to both traditional rigid and modern flexible aircraft. Understand the Basic Principles Governing Aerodynamic FlowsThis text consists of ten chapters outlining a range of topics relevant to the understanding of flight dynamics, regulation, and control. The book material describes the basics of flight simulation and control, the basics of nonlinear aircraft dynamics, and the principles of control configured aircraft design. It explains how elasticity of the wings/fuselage can be included in the dynamics and simulation, and highlights the principles of nonlinear stability analysis of both rigid and flexible aircraft. The reader can explore the mechanics of equilibrium flight and static equilibrium, trimmed steady level flight, the analysis of the static stability of an aircraft, static margins, stick-fixed and stick-free, modeling of control surface hinge-moments, and the estimation of the elevator for trim.Introduces case studies of practical control laws for several modern aircraftExplores the evaluation of aircraft dynamic responseApplies MATLAB®/Simulink® in determining the aircraft’s response to typical control inputsExplains the methods of modeling both rigid and flexible aircraft for controller design applicationWritten with aerospace engineering faculty and students, engineers, and researchers in mind, Flight Dynamics, Simulation, and Control: For Rigid and Flexible Aircraft serves as a useful resource for the exploration and study of simulation of flight dynamics.

"Starting from the fundamentals, the book takes the reader to more advanced topics, abreast with the current research. ...The material presented is comprehensive and is richly illustrated by the case studies."—Dr. Rajesh Joseph Abraham, Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology, India"In one volume there is a comprehensive coverage of flight mechanics and control, starting from basic concepts of aerodynamics and propulsion, including standard topics of longitudinal and lateral stability and control, with extensive use of case studies, leading up to an impressive set of advanced topics that would not normally be found in a single volume, including extensive coverage of flexible aircraft, flight control systems and pilot-in-the-loop simulation and modelling."—Neil Sandham, University of Southampton, UK, "Starting from the fundamentals, the book takes the reader to more advanced topics, abreast with the current research. ...The material presented is comprehensive and is richly illustrated by the case studies."—Dr. Rajesh Joseph Abraham, Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology, India"In one volume there is a comprehensive coverage of flight mechanics and control, starting from basic concepts of aerodynamics and propulsion, including standard topics of longitudinal and lateral stability and control, with extensive use of case studies, leading up to an impressive set of advanced topics that would not normally be found in a single volume, including extensive coverage of flexible aircraft, flight control systems and pilot-in-the-loop simulation and modelling."—Neil Sandham, University of Southampton, UK

Dr. Ranjan Vepa earned his PhD in applied mechanics from Stanford University, California. He currently serves as a lecturer in the School of Engineering and Material Science, Queen Mary University of London, where he has also been the programme director of the Avionics Programme since 2001. He conducts research on biomimetic morphing of wings and aerodynamic shape control and their applications to flight vehicles. Dr. Vepa is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, London; the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), New York; a fellow of the Higher Education Academy; a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation, London; and a chartered engineer.