VSTOL first flight on an H/sub infinity / control law

An H/sub infinity / control law has been successfully flight tested on the DRA Bedford Harrier. This and subsequent flight tests demonstrated the practicality and power of H/sub infinity / as a design tool for systems with multiple inputs and outputs. The technique has potential both to reduce design time, and to improve robustness and performance for such systems. This article discusses the development of the control law and some of the challenging implementation issues which had to be addressed in order to bridge the gap between theory and practice.<>