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Fighter agility metricsFighter flying qualities and combat capabilities are currently measured and compared in terms relating to vehicle energy, angular rates and sustained acceleration. Criteria based on these measurable quantities have evolved over the past several decades and are routinely used to design aircraft structures, aerodynamics, propulsion and control systems. While these criteria, or metrics, have the advantage of being well understood, easily verified and repeatable during test, they tend to measure the steady state capability of the aircraft and not its ability to transition quickly from one state to another. Proposed new metrics to assess fighter aircraft agility are collected and analyzed. A framework for classification of these new agility metrics is developed and applied. A complete set of transient agility metrics is evaluated with a high fidelity, nonlinear F-18 simulation. Test techniques and data reduction methods are proposed. A method of providing cuing information to the pilot during flight test is discussed. The sensitivity of longitudinal and lateral agility metrics to deviations from the pilot cues is studied in detail. The metrics are shown to be largely insensitive to reasonable deviations from the nominal test pilot commands. Instrumentation required to quantify agility via flight test is also considered. With one exception, each of the proposed new metrics may be measured with instrumentation currently available.
Document ID
19900020073
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Thesis/Dissertation
Authors
Liefer, Randall K.
(Kansas Univ. Lawrence, KS, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Subject Category
Aircraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
AD-A224477
NASA-CR-187289
AFIT/CI/CIA-90-035
NAS 1.26:187289
Accession Number
90N29389
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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