Modern Approach to Pilot Vehicle Analysis and the Neal-Smith Criteria

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Modern Approach to Pilot Vehicle Analysis and the Neal-Smith Criteria

B. J. Bacon / D. K. Schmidt

In the past, the longitudinal handling qualities of an aircraft were determined almost entirely by the modal characteristics of the classical rigid body modes (short period and phugoid). These modes which dominate conventional aircraft's dynamics and their modal parameters (i.e., damping and natural frequency), exhibits a definite correlation with pilot opinion ratings. Unfortunately, beyond the realm of conventional aircraft, criteria based on these parameters alone are inadequate. Addition of other modes, whether due to structural dynamics or to augmentation, has been shown to seriously affect pilot opinion rating. In the early 70's, Neal and Smith sought a solution to this high-order system problem by pilot-in-the-loop analysis. Reviewing pilot comments, the Neal-Smith investigation drew on some important hypotheses: Pilot rating is a strong function of the pilot compensation required to achieve good low frequency performance and the oscillatory tendencies of the pilot-vehicle system. The goal of this study was to present an alternate method for finding the quantitative handling quality parameters recognized as important by the Neal-Smith study. This paper develops a methodology that expresses directly the pilot's objective in attitude tracking.