Automatic Flight Control Development for General Aviation

A fluidic flight control system has been flight tested to develop and evaluate vortex rate sensors, fluidic amplifiers, dynamic shaping techniques, and system accuracy. Discussed are results which have confirmed applicability of conventional control theory and projected high reliability. Also discussed is a stabilization system featuring an electropneumatic servo actuator with variable transfer function and unique characteristics for application to a range of stabilization problems. Recent electronic system studies have shown substantial improvement in reliability, maintainability, size, weight, and cost reduction by use of microelectronic functional modules as alternates to individually-mounted discrete components.