Flight Vehicle Dynamics and Control presents the dynamics and control of various flight vehicles, including aircraft, spacecraft, helicopter, missiles, etc, in a unified framework. It covers the fundamental topics in the dynamics and control of these flight vehicles, highlighting shared points as well as differences in dynamics and control issues, making use of the ‘systems level’ viewpoint.

The book begins with the derivation of the equations of motion for a general rigid body and then delineates the differences between the dynamics of various flight vehicles in a fundamental way. It then focuses on the dynamic equations with application to these various flight vehicles, concentrating more on aircraft and spacecraft cases. Then the control systems analysis and design is carried out both from transfer function, classical control, as well as modern, state space control points of view. Illustrative examples of application to atmospheric and space vehicles are presented, emphasizing the ‘systems level’ viewpoint of control design.

Key features:

• Provides a comprehensive treatment of dynamics and control of various flight vehicles in a single volume.
• Contains worked out examples (including MATLAB examples) and end of chapter homework problems.
• Suitable as a single textbook for a sequence of undergraduate courses on flight vehicle dynamics and control.
• Accompanied by a website that includes additional problems and a solutions manual.

The book is essential reading for undergraduate students in mechanical and aerospace engineering, engineers working on flight vehicle control, and researchers from other engineering backgrounds working on related topics.

Table of Contents

Part I Flight Vehicle Dynamics

Roadmap to Part I

1 An Overview of the Fundamental Concepts of Modeling of a Dynamic System

2 Basic Nonlinear Equations of Motion in Three Dimensional Space

3 Linearization and Stability of Linear Time Invariant Systems

4 Aircraft Static Stability and Control

5 Aircraft Dynamic Stability and Control via Linearized Models

6 Spacecraft Passive Stabilization and Control

7 Spacecraft Dynamic Stability and Control via Linearized Models

Part II Fight Vehicle Control via Classical Transfer Function Based Methods

Roadmap to Part II

8 Transfer Function Based Linear Control Systems

9 Block DiagramRepresentation of Control Systems

10 Stability Testing of Polynomials

11 Root Locus Technique for Control Systems Analysis and Design

12 Frequency Response Analysis and Design

13 Applications of Classical Control Methods to Aircraft Control

14 Application of Classical Control Methods to Spacecraft Control

Part Ill Flig ht Vehicle Control via Modern State Space Based Methods

Roadmap to Part Ill

15 Time Domain, State Space Control Theory

16 Dynamic Response of Linear State Space Systems (Including Discrete Time Systems and Sampled Data Systems)

17 Stability of Dynamic Systems with State Space Representation with Emphasis on Linear Systems

18 Contro llability, Stabilizability, Observability, and Detectability

19 Shaping of Dynamic Response by Control Desig n: Pole (Eigenvalue) Placement Technique

20 Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) Optimal Control

21 Control Design Using Observers

22 State Space Control Desig n: Applicatio ns to Aircraft Control

23 State Space Control Desig n: Applicatio ns to Spacecraft Control

Part IV Other Related Flig ht Vehicles

Roadmap to Part IV

24 Tutorial on Aircraft Flig ht Control by Boeing

25 Tutorial on Satellite Control Systems

26 Tutorial on Other Flig ht Vehicles

About the Author

Rama K. Yedavalli is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Ohio State University. His research interests include systems level robust stability analysis and control design for uncertain dynamical systems with applications to mechanical and aerospace systems. He also works on robust control, distributed control, adaptive control, hybrid systems control and control of time delay systems with applications to mechanical and aerospace systems.