Robust Adaptive Nonlinear Control of High Peformance Aircraft

A robust adaptive control law for multivariable nonlinear systems affine in the input was presented in [2]. All constant parameters that could be linearly parametrized in the input-output dynamic equation were adaptively estimated, and uncertainties in all the other terms were accounted for by appropriate choice of sliding gains. This adaptive control law is implemented in the control of the pitch axis dynamics of an AFTI-16, a high performance aircraft. The lift, drag and moment coefficients corresponding to the control surfaces, the elevator and the flaperons, are adaptively estimated.