Velocity Dependence of High Angle of Attack Longitudinal Flying Qualities Criteria

Piloted simulations were conducted to investigate flying qualities requirements for longitudinal maneuvering at 30° angle of attack. Pilot evaluations of various longitudinal dynamics were gathered using acquisition and tracking tasks representative of future fighter air combat maneuvering. Pilot comments and Cooper-Harper Ratings were used to define desired regions of aircraft dynamics. These criteria were then compared to previously developed 30° angle of attack criteria for a lower speed flight condition to determine airspeed effects. The desired region of dynamics was found to depend on equivalent airspeed. This dependency can be used to help design control law gain schedules which provide good high angle of attack flying qualities over a wide speed range.