AE 4723 – Homework #3

Due date: Tuesday, 11-Dec-2018 at 5:00 PM.

Instructions
• Verbal collaboration across groups is encouraged. Sharing MATLAB code across groups is strictly disallowed.
• Refer to the syllabus for policies on grading and late submissions.
• The solutions to each problem must be presented, without exception, in the following format:
– Method: e.g., “I/we used these equations [insert equations] from the notes/textbook/other source [insert
reference], then derived these equations [insert equations]. I/we developed/reused code to implement
these equations [insert code snippets as appropriate], and obtained the following results.”
– Results: e.g. “The following plots/numbers indicate [what they indicate; insert plots / numbers etc].”
– Discussion: e.g. “The [results above; details] match expected [behavior/values], possibly subject to minor
numerical errors, because [reasons why you think the results make sense]” OR “The [results above; details]
are not correct because [reasons why you think the results do not make sense]. This method appears to be
correct, but I/we was/were not able to resolve [issue] despite trying [attempts].”

Problem 1. (60 points)

Data for the Learjet 24 jet-propelled aircraft are provided below. For the given max weight cruise flight condition:
• Determine the Along , Alat , Blong , and Blat matrices for the longitudinal and lateral linearized equations.
• Determine if the aircraft is dynamically stable.
• Determine the settling times of the phugoid mode and of the roll convergence mode.
• Plot the impulse and step response of the following input-output pairs:
– Elevator, pitch angle
– Thrust, speed
– Rudder, yaw
– Aileron, roll angle
Problem 2 (Aircraft control). (40 points)
For the Learjet 24 aircraft at the max weight cruise condition, design the following two controllers:
• Altitude-hold controller. The available measurements are of pitch rate, pitch angle, airspeed, and the ambient
static pressure (which indirectly measures altitude, per the standard atmosphere model). All measurements
are noisy, with zero Gaussian noise and the following variances: pitch rate error 0.1 (◦ /s)2 , pitch angle error
2
0.1 (◦ )2 , airspeed error 25 (m/s) , and pressure 900 Pa2 .
• Roll angle controller, to achieve and maintain a constant roll angle of 5◦ , while regulating sideslip to zero. The
available measurements are of roll rate and roll angle. All measurements are noisy, with zero Gaussian noise
and the following variances: roll rate error 0.1 (◦ /s)2 , roll angle error 0.1 (◦ )2 .
Test each of these controllers with the linearized models, by introducing disturbances in initial conditions and verifying
that the outputs behave in the desired manner. Specifically, for the altitude-hold controller, introduce disturbances in
altitude and/or speed, and plot the closed-loop altitude over time to see if it returns to the desired level. Similarly, in
the second case, plot the bank angle to see if it settles to 5◦ ; also plot sideslip angle to ensure that it is suppressed to
zero. In each case, plot the variations of all of the control inputs over time. For quantities that are angles (e.g. aileron
deflection, rudder deflection, sideslip angle), use degrees instead of radians as units for all plots.

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 AE 4723 — Supplementary Notes for Homework # 3

The Learjet 24 data provided in the homework are from a source different from the textbook, which is why some
of the notation is slightly different. Also, some of the stability aerodynamic data are not packaged in the form of the
stability derivatives that are needed to populate the A and B matrices. The following is a “translation” key to find the
nondimensional stability and control derivatives.

Cx Cz Cm
u −(CDu + 2CD1 ) −(CLu + 2CL1 ) Cmu + 2Cm1
α −(CDα − CL1 ) −(CLα + CD1 ) Cmα
α̇ 0 −CLα̇ Cmα̇
q 0 −CLq Cmq
δe −CDδe −CLδe Cmδe
δp CTxu + 2CTx1 0 CmT u + 2CmT 1

The linearized equations can be written, after separating longitudinal and lateral variables, as:
ẋlong = Along xlong + Blong ulong , (1)
ẋlat = Alat xlat + Blat ulat . (2)
Here,
   
∆u v    
 w   p  ∆δe δr
xlong  q ,
=  xlat  r ,
=  ulong = , ulat = . (3)
∆δp δa
∆θ φ
The A matrices in each case were previously discussed in class and described in detail in previous handouts/slides.
The B matrices are as follows:
Xδe Xδp
 

 m m 

 

 Zδe Zδp 

 (m − Zẇ ) (m − Zẇ ) 
Blong =  , (4)
 
 
 Mδ
e
Mẇ Zδe M δp M Z
ẇ δp

 I + I (m − Z ) +
 
 y y ẇ Iy Iy (m − Zẇ ) 
 
0 0
Yδa Yδr
 

 m m 

 
 Lδa 0 Lδr 0

 + Izx Nδa + Izx Nδr 
 Ix0 Ix0 
Blat = , (5)
 
 
 Nδa 0 Nδr 0

 + Izx Lδa + Izx Lδr 

 Iz0 Iz0 

 
0 0
where Ix0 = (Ix Iz − Izx
2
)/Iz , Iz0 = (Ix Iz − Izx
2 0
)/Ix , and Izx 2
= Izx /(Ix Iz − Izx ).
The transformations from nondimensional control derivatives (e.g. Cxδe ) to the dimensional control derivatives
(e.g. Xδe ) which appear in the B matrices above, are given in the tables below.

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