Pitch-Axis Aerodynamic Parameter Identification for NASA's F-15B

As part of NASA s Intelligent Flight Control Systems program, parameter identification experiments were carried out with NASA Dryden s F-15B TN 837 aircraft. The canard control surfaces, whose movement is highly correlated with aircraft angle of attack, and the aircraft s aerodynamic instability in the pitch axis contribute to making parameter identification challenging. The equation-error method of analysis is applied to several longitudinal parameter identification maneuvers and a new approach for compensating for flight-data signal time lags is developed, which improves the accuracy and consistency of the results.