Impact of flight systems integration on future aircraft designIntegrations trends in aircraft are discussed with an eye to manifestations in future aircraft designs through interdisciplinary technology integration. Current practices use software changes or small hardware fixes to solve problems late in the design process, e.g., low static stability to upgrade fuel efficiency. A total energy control system has been devised to integrate autopilot and autothrottle functions, thereby eliminating hardware, reducing the software, pilot workload, and cost, and improving flight efficiency and performance. Integrated active controls offer reduced weight and larger payloads for transport aircraft. The introduction of vectored thrust may eliminate horizontal and vertical stabilizers, and location of the thrust at the vehicle center of gravity can provide vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. It is suggested that further efforts will open a new discipline, aeroservoelasticity, and tests will become multidisciplinary, involving controls, aerodynamics, propulsion and structures.
Document ID
19850031396
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Hood, R. V. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Dollyhigh, S. M. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Newsom, J. R. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)