Integrated Active Controls Impact on Supersonic Cruise Vehicle Structural Design

The application of integrated active controls to high performance aircraft has been made feasible by recent advances in active control technology. This paper summarizes some of these advances. One approach to the methodology for synthesizing active control transfer functions is reviewed. Application of this methodology to a supersonic cruise vehicle is discussed. Significant structural weight savings were realized using active controls for this vehicle. Among the several design advantages noted is the ability to avoid expensive redesign of structurally deficient aircraft by means of active controls.