Retrospective and Recent Examples of Aircraft Parameter Identification at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

Abstract

A brief retrospective is presented on the development of aircraft aerodynamic parameter identification at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, tracing its origins from the mid-1960s through recent flight examples. The maximum-likelihood output-error approach is summarized, leaving details to ample references. A partial listing is provided of flight programs at Dryden over the last 40 years that have used parameter identification to support flight testing. In particular, highlights and lessons learned within the last 12 years are described from the X-29A, F-18, SR-71, and space shuttle programs