Adaptive flight control of advanced fighter aircraft at high angles of attack

In fighter aircraft at high angles of attack, unsteady aerodynamic effects such as wing rock and saturation of aerodynamic control effectors can lead to difficulty in control and maneuverability. This paper will demonstrate the use of a dynamic inverse-based adaptive output feedback control method applied to an F-15 like aircraft model with thrust-vectoring capability. The model is valid up to 60degrees angle-of-attack and includes Thrust Vector Control (TVC). The objective of the control design is to demonstrate adaptation to aerodynamic uncertainty in the form of both unmodeled parameter variations and unmodeled dynamics present in the nominal inverting design.